


Thick as Thieves 2: Under Your Command

by jemmalynette



Category: Terra Nova (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Twins, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Romance, Dinosaurs, Eventual Romance, F/M, Family Feels, Gen, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Original Character(s), Romance, Science Fiction, Season/Series 02, Sequel, Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:40:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 33
Words: 116,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24633217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jemmalynette/pseuds/jemmalynette
Summary: Original Character story (Lucas’ twin brother). This is the sequel to my OC story, Thick as Thieves, which covered Michael’s story in S1. This continuation picks up where S1 ended: 2150 is in disarray since Hope Plaza went up in flames and the Chicago Rebellion grows stronger every day as they fight the corporation responsible for their misery. Forced to battle the rebellion with the Phoenix Group army in order to protect Wash, Michael is sent back to Terra Nova on a new mission…Complete.
Relationships: Alicia Washington/Original Male Character, Skye Tate/Lucas Taylor
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**** ****

**Title:** Thick as Thieves Season 2: Under Your Command

 **Rating:** T 

**Warnings:** Some violence but not graphic

 **Characters:** Lucas Taylor, Michael Taylor (OC - Lucas’ twin), Nathaniel Taylor, Skye Tate, Alicia Washington, the Shannon Family, Mark Reynolds, Tom Boylan, Tim Curran, Mira

 **Relationships:** Wash/Michael (OC), Lucas/Skye, references to Wash/Taylor

 **Summary:** Michael Taylor OC (Lucas’ twin brother).This is the sequel to my OC story, Thick as Thieves, which covered Michael’s story in S1. This continuation picks up where S1 ended: 2150 is in disarray since Hope Plaza went up in flames and the Chicago Rebellion grows stronger every day as they fight the corporation responsible for their misery. Forced to battle the rebellion with the Phoenix Group army in order to protect Wash, Michael is sent back to Terra Nova on a new mission…

The first story can be read here: [ https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7812172/1/Thick-as-Thieves ](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7812172/1/Thick-as-Thieves)

**Promo:** I have made a trailer video for this fic on my Youtube here: [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn_lSTqI5Wc ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn_lSTqI5Wc) It is a bit spoilery but I am pretty proud of it if you’re interested in watching/commenting. 

**A/N:** I know it has been a LONG time since I wrote this original story and if there is any readership left, I REALLY hope you guys read and enjoy this. Even if you’re a new reader, you should be able to follow the sequel as I will summarise what happened in S1. I never stopped thinking about this sequel and have spent years working on it and putting all my crazy ideas together for a season 2. I have the first draft written so I aim to start updating weekly once it's polished off. _Please_ read and leave me a comment, it would mean so much to me. Thank you!

* * *

_  
Evidently, you look furious_

_Walls up, and I know you're serious_

_Evidently, I'm not always there_

_But you left, and I looked everywhere_

_You built this fortress, I stumble towards it_

_I stumble towards it._

**\- Thick as Thieves by Shinedown**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Dawn was breaking in The Badlands, the morning sun illuminating the vast woodlands as it peered above the treetops. Peacefully silent, apart from the odd dino roar every now and then, the local residents of the area gently waking as the bodies of those who died there continued sleeping peacefully. It would have been beautiful had it not been for those dozens of graves that now inhabited the land, dug shortly after the bodies were discovered by The Commander. The same night his sons disappeared. 

The cave still stood in the shadows, now abandoned. There was no trace of the twins having been there, nor of the presence of the untethered portal. The area, it appeared, had been discarded for some time. 

Then, a few miles away, a blue light materialised. 

* * *

“Is our shift nearly over yet?” groaned Curran, kicking soil up from the ground in a small act of rebellion. “We've been out here hours.”

“Are you seriously complaining?” scoffed Reilly, still grasping her weapon whilst Curran held his lazily by his side. “You're lucky The Commander even put you on patrol. You could have ended up like the Sixers or those Phoenix Group soldiers. Taylor didn't have to take you back in.”

“Took him long enough to trust me,” Curran muttered. “All those months of cleaning latrines and KP duty...maybe I would have preferred taking my chances out there.”

Reilly rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

The two were on security detail outside the colony. Spending hours on end in the jungle with Curran hadn't been Reilly's idea of fun, but it was her job. And Terra Nova needed protecting. There were still the remaining Sixers and Phoenix Group out there.

“Not like he trusts me anyway,” Curran relentlessly droned on. “There's been hardly any enemy activity out here since they all left for The Badlands. This is just a waste of time, and you're only here to baby sit me, _Sergeant_.”

Reilly sighed. “At least we're not camped out in The Badlands anymore guarding that damn cave.”

Curran nodded in agreement. “Weeks and weeks of nothing. That place gave me the creeps”

“Especially with that thing out there.”

“Don't remind me.”

Reilly paused. “You hear that?”

Curran stopped and looked around. “What?”

Their heads snapped towards a rustling sound. Twigs snapping. Bushes. Something was out there. Raising her gun, Reilly motioned at Curran to follow her. He nodded, lifting his weapon towards the source of the noise. 

Reilly held her breath.

Then a man's body came hurtling out of the plants and straight onto the ground in front of them. Both soldiers stared, amazed, as the body became still, face down in the mud. 

“What the hell?” Curran bent down to examine the man. He hadn't heard of anyone being reported OTG. Then again, the man's clothing didn't appear to be Terra Novan, nor did they resemble that of the Sixers or Phoenix Group. So where had this guy come from? 

He gently turned the man over, and then lost his voice completely.

“Oh my god,” Reilly breathed. “It can't be.”

Curran stood back and they both stared disbelievingly.

It was The Commander's son. It was Michael Taylor.


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing Michael recognised was the air. Cool, clean in his lungs as he inhaled softly, awaking in a bed in the Infirmary. 

It looked more or less like he remembered. Doctors, nurses, patients. Equipment still up and running, mostly. At least the technology reading his vitals seemed to still be working. 

Elisabeth Shannon closed down the holographic readings, having noticed Michael coming round. 

“Welcome back,” she said, straight-faced. If she was happy to see him there was no way of telling. “How do you feel?”

“Like I've just woken up from a coma,” groaned Michael, rubbing his eyes. “How long was I out?”

“About ten hours. Reilly and Curran found you early this morning.”

“Ten hours?” Michael attempted to sit up, but was immediately halted by the extreme dizziness in his head and the aching pain in his muscles erupting all at once.

“Take it easy,” Doctor Shannon advised him, gently pushing him back down into a horizontal position. “You were severely dehydrated. You must have been running around for days out there.”

“Got a little lost,” he croaked. 

“Just save your strength. The Commander will want to speak with you.”

She turned, about to leave, but instead she hesitated and turned back to face him, a curious look on her face. “Michael...where have you been? All this time...what happened to you?”

He broke her gaze, noticing a woman sat on the bed opposite, having her arm bandaged. She was staring at him. They all were. 

But he was prepared for this. He knew it was going to be difficult coming back here after everything he had done. 

But he had no choice.

He looked back up at Elisabeth as she waited expectantly for his answer, concern and curiosity etched into her features. 

“When can I speak to the Commander?” he asked evasively. The idea of seeing him again made his insides twist unpleasantly. The last time they'd seen each other, he had sided with Lucas and united in their hatred of their father. He had thrown himself into a wormhole rather than subject himself to living under his father's rule. But now he had no choice but to speak to him. It was the whole reason he was here.

Elisabeth straightened up, frowning. “I'll let him know you're awake. It'll be quite a shock to him. We all thought you were dead.”

“That's not surprising. I did walk into an untethered fracture and disappear for six months. I can see how you'd think I didn't survive, but I did.”  He noticed Elisabeth staring at him as if he'd grown another head or something. “What?”

“Six months?” she repeated, confused. “Michael, you were gone for a  _ year _ .”

This time Michael felt like he really  _ had _ grown an extra head. “ _ A year _ ?” he whispered. He had been warned about this, but he never thought it could actually happen, especially by this much.  _ A whole year _ . So much would have changed since he stepped through the portal. So much he would have missed...

“I'll get Commander Taylor,” Elisabeth helpfully suggested, leaving Michael to absorb the new information.

* * *

The changes were subtle. It seemed most of Terra Nova's remaining resources had been designated to the Infirmary, but everything else Michael could now see was gradually diminishing. The market in particular seemed less vibrant and lively than it used to be. Fewer people, fewer stalls. It made sense that what people owned had become more valuable, and people were less willing to trade — unless they charged a higher price. There seemed fewer vehicles roaming about too, which made sense due to the colony's dwindling supply of power cells. The craters from the invasion still blemished the colony's earth. It looked like an attempt had been made at rebuilding, but with the lack of resources, it looked like they had struggled to repair everything completely. He regretted to think how much Lucas would enjoy seeing this.

The armed guards escorting Michael to the Command Centre were Reynolds and Dunham — two corporals under Taylor's command. Wordlessly, they led him through the colony as crowds began to form, the locals beginning to recognise their former ally. Michael knew how this looked to people. He was just glad that his old colleagues had spared him the humiliation of handcuffing him. 

“Nice to see you boys again,” Michael quipped. “Sorry I didn’t send a postcard.”

The two men ignored him, unsurprisingly. They remained as professional as their chain of command had taught them to be – despite the fact that Reynolds probably wouldn't have minded punching him in the face upon seeing him again. They'd had a less than cordial relationship since Reynolds let his men beat Michael to a pulp shortly after it was revealed that he had been working with the Sixers..

It felt like a long time ago now. In reality, even longer. An extra  _ six months _ longer. But it felt like an eternity since he called these men his friends. He remembered all those evenings they spent at Boylan's together, staying out until early in the morning and drunkenly singing karaoke. 

Sometimes he missed those days. He missed that uniform, being proud and happy with his status here. Now he felt small, dirty and stubbly, dressed in some old civilian clothing Doctor Shannon had given him from the darkest depths of the Infirmary's lost and found closet. He appeared far from the reputation he had built. He would have felt insignificant had it not been for the many gazes and head-turns he was receiving on the brief walk to the Command Centre.

Casey Durwin stopped wheeling his chair on his way towards the market,  watching with astonishment as Michael strode past .  He recognised other faces. Malcolm Wallace froze as he was handing over some terras to a vendor. Maddy Shannon slowed her walking as she took hold of her little sister Zoe, though the littlest Shannon looked quite a bit bigger than when he had last seen her. Old friends and their families stopped and stared at him, unsure what to make of his return.

Everyone here had turned his back on him, so he had turned his back on them in return. The part of him that resented that enjoyed seeing their confusion and concern. But they weren’t important at the moment. He was here for a reason.

As Reynolds and Dunham took him up the steps to the Command Centre, Michael took a deep breath. He looked out at the chattering crowd below him, as security officers were beginning to disperse everyone, and he saw a face he wasn't quite ready to see.

Skye Tate. His best friend. His family. Apart from his father, she was the one person he was most afraid of seeing again. The last time he and Skye were together, he accused her of betraying him for Lucas, and they had ended up - quite literally - pointing guns at each other's heads. Skye was forced to choose between the Taylor men, but in the end she chose the Commander. She shot Lucas to save Taylor.

From her expression it looked as though all those emotions had come flooding back. Her eyes wide, lips parted, that same look of hurt and confusion on her face as the day he took her hostage so he could lure Lucas to his death. Of course things hadn't quite worked out like that in the end. Skye had chosen Taylor and Michael had chosen Lucas. But he had still hurt her, and that was one of the things he could never forgive himself for.

Reynolds and Dunham left Michael alone in the Command Centre. Just being there gave him a cold chill. Many times he had been disciplined here, from minor discrepancies to much larger offences in the more recent years. He wasn’t sure what to expect this time around, since now he was an outcast like his brother, disowned by the man who raised him, who taught him everything he knew.

He thought all those feelings of anger and hurt would come flooding back as soon as he saw his father’s face, but when the Commander did appear, he felt strangely numb. 

There was a short silence as Taylor stood at the doorway, staring at his estranged son. No relief, no surprise, no anger. Just quiet.  He was thinner, older-looking, tired. But he still looked as fierce as the day Michael left. His father walked over to the desk.

“Michael.”

“Commander.” Michael nodded him a simple greeting, as if he had just got back from patrol rather than coming back from the dead.

Taylor took a seat and gestured for Michael to do the same. Michael sat opposite, waiting for his father to say something. Anything.

“First thing’s first,” Taylor began. “How are you here? I saw you go through the portal. You could have ended up anywhere.”

_ Straight down to business _ , Michael thought. He expected nothing less. He recited his answer as if he'd gone over it in his head many times before.

“The portal took us right back where we left off. 2149.”

“Where in 2149? It couldn’t have been Hope Plaza. Jim destroyed it.”

“The portal opened elsewhere…”

“Where?”

“Do you remember those old wives’ tales about ships and planes going missing in the North Atlantic?”

Taylor narrowed his gaze sceptically.

“Yeah,” Michael affirmed. “Not so much an old wives’ tale. Lucas’ employers were there, waiting for us. That, for me, was six months ago.”

“Six months?" Taylor repeated, bemused. “But you've been gone-”

“A year. So I’ve been told. I've lost half a year of my life somehow. I was told that this sort of thing was possible.”

“The same thing happened to me when I went through on the First Pilgrimage. My men were right behind me. It was three months before I saw them on the other side.”

“I remember you telling me,” said Michael. “One of your many stories...But it doesn't matter. It doesn't change why I'm here. At least...it shouldn't.”

“And why  _ are _ you here?” 

“Lucas' employers sent me.”

“So you're working for them now? Come to finish what Lucas started?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Then uncomplicate it,” Taylor snapped. “Tell me why you’re here.”

There was a long pause. Michael looked down at his fidgeting hands, hating this sudden feeling of vulnerability. “I need your help.”

The room was silent. 

“They want to negotiate,” he continued.

Taylor appeared furious. “Negotiate? After all this time, after everything they’ve done, they want to negotiate?”

“They think they can make a deal with Terra Nova. So everyone wins. They want to talk to you in person.”

“Even if I wanted to meet with them, how would that be possible? We can’t open the portal from this side.”

“But they can from  _ their _ side. That’s what Lucas was working on all this time. All I have to do is make contact. They’ll do the rest.”

“And why the hell would the Commander agree to that?” probed a brash voice belonging to someone Michael recognised immediately as his father’s right-hand man. Jim Shannon, frowning heavily, walked into the Command Centre and stood by Taylor’s side. 

Michael and Jim had never got on particularly well. Jim's family came on one of the last pilgrimages and he, a disgraced cop who had broken out of prison, stowed away in order to get to Terra Nova illegally. Michael always resented how quickly his father had trusted Jim, pretty much offering the fugitive a spot on the security team on day one. But the resentment really came from Jim's treatment of Michael during his investigation into the death of General Phillbrick, how Jim had beaten him and called him a traitor. And even though Jim had apologised – even though they had worked together to save the colony – Michael still didn't warm to him.

“Jim Shannon.” Michael shook his head. “Still playing sheriff I see?”

“Jim is my head of security now,” explained Taylor. 

Michael raised his brows, though he wasn’t really surprised. His thoughts instantly returned to the previous head of security. He remembered how he had dug Guzman’s grave and buried him after he had died trying to protect the colony, leaving behind a daughter. “I see. That’s some pretty big shoes to fill, Shannon.”

“I know,” admitted Jim forlornly, no doubt remembering his predecessor. “I think I’ve been doing a pretty good job so far. And I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t admit that this plan of yours reeks of a trap.”   


“I thought I said I would handle this, Jim,” Taylor said.

“You did,” Jim replied. “But I decided you might need back up. I don’t trust him one bit. He’s lied plenty of times before. Don’t underestimate him like you did Lucas.”

“I’m not Lucas,” snapped Michael. 

“The last we saw of you, you jumped into a portal after him,” declared Jim angrily. “So excuse me if I’m a little dubious of your intentions.”

“I’ve just spent the past six months clearing up  _ your _ mess, Shannon. The city is in shambles. The whole world just witnessed humanity’s last hope for survival literally go up in smoke! Do you think the public were going to take that lightly? They’re angry. They want someone to pay.”

“I did what I had to,” growled Jim, though Michael recognised that flicker of guilt in his eyes – only for a second. “If they want to hold someone accountable it should be the people they sent through the portal to destroy Terra Nova.”

Michael pitied his naivety. “Oh, there's so much you don't know. Did you not listen to anything Lucas said whilst he was here? The people who sent the Phoenix Group  _ own _ Terra Nova. They own all of us!”

“Not anymore,” Taylor said. “We've survived this long on our own. We don't need them.”

Michael leapt to his feet. “You're not listening to me. We're at  _ war _ . We can't just ignore that.”

“You're the one who's not listening,” Jim leant forward, scowling at Michael. “What makes you think Taylor would agree to this now?”

“He will.” Michael turned to his father, his expression softening – a plea in his eyes. “You have to.” The two men in front of him stared at him inquisitively. Then Michael took a breath. “Because they have Alicia.”

“ _ Wash _ ?” Taylor whispered. The taste of her name on his tongue brought a change in his demeanor. His heavy expression softened ever so slightly. “She’s alive?”

“Lucas didn't kill her. It was all an act to get her to the future. She's their prisoner. That's why I've been working for them.” He looked into his father's eyes, seeing the repressed emotion in them at the mention of his old friend and comrade. “They have her. And negotiating with them is the only way they'll let her go.”

“From what I hear, it’s been six months since that deal was on the table,” Jim pointed out. “How do you even know they still have her?”

“I know,” said Michael. “She’s too valuable to them.”

Jim didn’t look convinced. “Taylor. We can’t trust him. We know what he's capable of.”

Michael ignored him. He concentrated solely on his father. “Dad. Please. I wouldn’t lie to you about this.”

Taylor studied him, the desperation in his eyes, the panic in his voice. Michael knew he believed him.

“You said you need to contact them.”

Michael nodded. “On the device they gave me…Then they'll send me instructions.” He paused. “Where is the device?”

“I confiscated everything you had on you when Reilly and Curran brought you in,” explained Jim. 

Taylor lowered his head and sighed deeply. “Shannon – get him that device and make sure he sends the message. We'll decide what to do when we receive their instructions.”

As Taylor headed for the exit, Jim stopped him. “Taylor, are you sure you want to do this? Communicating with the future again? After a whole year of being closed off from them?"

Michael watched as his father looked back at him, a deep crease between his brows. The old man was looking older than ever. Perhaps he had lost too much over the past couple of years. The idea of gaining back some of what he had lost was an opportunity he surely couldn't pass up.

“Let me know when we receive their instructions.” 

Jim nodded and let Taylor leave. Not long later, Michael had the device in his hands. He placed it on the table and pressed a button. A holographic keyboard shone out of the device, and so Michael began typing.

“How soon until we hear from them?” Jim questioned, standing above him, making sure he could see everything Michael was doing.

“I don't know. From their perspective it's been an extra six months since I left...and at that point the city was in a pretty bad state.” 

Michael finished typing:

_ Ready to receive instruction. _

“What is this thing anyway?” asked Jim. 

“I'm not sure. The Sixers had a similar device a while back. Before that I thought communication with the future was only possible while the portal was open.” 

“Yeah. I think my son used it to talk to his girlfriend. Before your employers brought her over here to die.”

Michael bit the side of his tongue, trying to resist arguing with him. “Look, I never wanted this...I never wanted to work for them. I was just trying to do the right thing.”

“Was kidnapping Skye the right thing? Was working for the Sixers?”

Shame took over. He frowned deeply. “Skye... how is she?”

“She's fine. She's been just fine without you, Michael.” 

“Before we leave, can I see her?” The idea of seeing her again made his blood run cold, but he couldn't forgive himself if he left without talking to her. 

“We haven't decided what we're doing yet. Before we do anything, you need to sit down with your father and I and tell us exactly who we're dealing with.”

“Fine,” Michael promised. “I just want Alicia back.” 

Just then, the device made a high-pitched beeping sound. Michael and Jim peered down to see the words on the screen:

_ Stand by – MN _

Jim squinted at the name. “ _ MN _ ? Who's MN?”

Michael stared at the initials. “Miranda Nichol,” he said – a name he had become so used to seeing during his time in the future. “She's our employer. She's the woman responsible for all of this.”


	3. Chapter 3

**One Year Ago**

The electric blue transformed into thick blackness, the air becoming denser until the oxygen disappeared completely. Then Michael realised with panic that he was soaking wet, surrounded by water and unable to breathe. 

He kicked and waved his arms around in the freezing water, attempting to swim upwards. But he couldn't tell which direction was which. His mind exploded with panic as his lungs started straining for air, his limbs tiring. Then just when his body was starting to give up, he tore through the surface, gasping for oxygen.

The cold didn't even register, only the darkness and the frantic desire to stay above water. He couldn't see anything. His next thought was that he couldn't see Lucas anywhere.

Michael thrashed about, screaming Lucas' name. No response. He dived back in the water, searching even though he could barely see. Searching until he needed air.

He swam back up, splashing all around him, trying to feel for his brother. "Lucas?" He spat salt water out. "Lucas!"

Nothing. He dived back below again, and when he re-emerged Lucas was with him, barely conscious. Michael held him close, keeping his head above the water as Lucas spluttered. Even in the low light, Michael could see the blood from Lucas' wound was polluting the water.

"Are you alright?" Michael asked, still struggling for air whilst carrying both their weight above the surface.

"I'm fine" rasped Lucas, sounding the complete opposite of fine. 

Terra Nova was long gone. What the hell were they going to do now? Exhausted, wounded, stuck in the middle of what appeared to be the ocean with no sign of land. If hypothermia didn't get them first, the exhaustion would. 

"Well, what now, Lucas?" demanded Michael bitterly, still trying to keep his brother’s head above water. 

"I don't know," Lucas snapped weakly. "You're the soldier! You think of a way to save us."

Truthfully, Michael wasn't feeling much like a soldier anymore, and he had never anticipated a situation like this. There wasn't a lot they could do but stay afloat and wait for help, if they didn't die first. The latter was looking more likely by the second.

That's why Michael thought it was a miracle when they heard a helicopter overhead, its lights beaming towards them in the water. He started waving madly at them until a rope was lowered and they were raised to safety, coughing and spluttering as the helicopter flew them back to land.

The helicopter took them to a base on a nearby island and they were led to a cabin where they could change clothes. Once dried off, the brothers were taken to a room where a woman and a few men in suits greeted them.

"My God," one of them mumbled, astonished. "It's true. The portal works."

"Of course it works," an older woman replied, smiling. She was wearing a dress and blazer, donning red lips and auburn hair. Her appearance was immaculate. Her very tone and expression screamed money. She had to be the one in charge. "It's a little inconveniently placed but now we have Lucas back, I'm sure he can help us with that."

"Where are we?" Michael demanded impatiently. "What are we doing here?"

"You're in the North Atlantic ocean, Corporal Taylor. The portal in the Badlands brought you here," the woman responded.

Michael looked at Lucas whose solemn expression told him he wasn't surprised by any of this, and that he knew exactly what was going to happen now. Michael, however, was growing more agitated by the minute.

"Who are you people?"

The woman took a step forward. "My name is Miranda Nichol. I'm the CEO of a little corporation called EdenCorp. Ever heard of it?”

Michael blinked. “Of...of course I have. Everyone has. You make pretty much all our technology....from our sonic weapons to our toasters...You guys are billionaires.”

“You flatter us, Corporal. We're only responsible for about 85% of the world's tech these days, and that includes the equipment you use back in Terra Nova.”

Michael was beginning to see the dots connecting, but he couldn't shake his confusion over why he and Lucas were here. He pinched the skin in between his eyes. “I'm sorry. I'm not sure if it's the nearly drowning thing, but I still don't understand what we're doing here?”

“Your brother works for us. And now you do too."

"What are you talking about?" Michael turned to Lucas who seemed to be slinking further and further behind him, a grim expression on his face.

“We owned Hope Plaza, we owned Terra Nova, and now we own you,” Nichol explained calmly. "We have something of yours that we believe you'll do anything to protect."

Michael's world began to spin. He remembered what Lucas had told him. That Wash was alive, that she was here, in the future. Safe...or maybe not. 

"Alicia..."

"Alicia Washington," Nichol confirmed. "Initially we thought we could use her to get to the Commander, but you'll do...for now."

His muscles tensed, fists balling up. The idea made him angry, sick. But for Alicia, he was willing to do just about anything. He had proven that already. And clearly these people knew it. He gave in. "What do I have to do?"

A small smile crept up on Nichol's lips. "Come with me. We have much to talk about."

* * *

**Terra Nova, Now**

Whilst they waited for further instruction, Michael was sent to the Brig for the night. He agreed to brief Taylor and Jim on just who exactly  _ MN  _ was the following morning.

As expected, he couldn’t sleep. The last time he was down here he was in an emotional rage. He thought Alicia was dead, executed by his brother, and he fully expected to be next. He thought his world had ended and he remembered that lost, sinking feeling of turmoil. Broken and beaten and left to rot. It was the night he lost all hope in his brother and saw him as the monster everyone else saw him to be. 

Until he found out the truth. And it led him right back here.

He didn’t blame his father for locking him up here. No one had any reason to trust him, and it wouldn’t go down well with the locals if he was free to roam about the colony with all this suspicion aimed his way. At least they hadn’t tied him up and he was free to pace around the Brig, worrying about tomorrow. Whether they would trust him, whether things would go to plan. But the memories of that night made him feel sick, the trauma still raw in his mind. He still saw Alicia’s lifeless body in his arms, her hair covering her pale features. 

She’s not dead, he told himself, sinking into the corner.  _ She’s not dead.  _ But it only reminded him how important this was. He couldn’t lose her again. He closed his eyes and wished for morning. He just needed to get tomorrow over with. He squeezed his eyelids shut. It would be over soon. It was just part of the mission, it was just...

“Rise and shine.”

Michael opened his eyes and saw Jim standing in the doorway. It was morning. He must have dozed off. 

Jim gave him some rations for breakfast, what looked like a small portion of oatmeal and some fruit. 

“Have you thought about their offer?” Michael asked a few minutes later, pushing away his empty bowl before pulling himself up to his feet. 

“We’re still considering it.”

Michael seemed surprised. “This is Alicia we’re talking about. Her life is in danger.”

“We want to do whatever we can to get Wash back,” Jim promised, arms crossed over his chest. “But opening up communications with the future leaves the colony vulnerable. Cutting our ties with them is the only way for us to survive.”   


“You do realise they could have sent anyone through that portal if they wanted to. They could have sent another army, but they didn’t. They sent me.”

“An army that doesn’t know where or when they’ll end up. The fracture is still unstable. Can they really afford to lose any more men?”

“Is it really so bad to reconnect with the future again?” Michael reasoned. “You could do with the supplies. Food, power. Your people are struggling.”

“We’re doing fine. Rations are lasting. Power is conserved for the more crucial equipment like in the Infirmary,” Jim explained.

“Medicine, then. Don’t tell me you want your people to die of something that could’ve easily been treatable in the future.” 

Jim fell silent. Michael knew they couldn’t deny that. But it came down to one thing. “We can’t trust these people, Michael. There’s no guarantee they’ll give us anything.” He sighed. “You know them. You worked with them for six months. Do they seem trustworthy to you?”

Michael thought back to his time with them, the many meetings he’d had with Nichol, and their agreement. They had promised to keep Alicia safe, as long as he agreed to work with them. Even though visits were sparse, they had still kept to their arrangement.

“They’re true to their word,” Michael affirmed. “So long as you come to an agreement with them.”

“Like  _ your _ agreement,” another voice contributed. Michael looked up to see his father walk in. “The agreement to keep Wash alive?”

“Yes,” Michael admitted solemnly. “They made me a captain in their army. I fought their war. And in return they kept Alicia safe. This was the agreement I made with Nichol.” 

“And Nichol...Miranda? She’s the one in charge?” Taylor questioned.

“She’s the head of EdenCorp.”

“EdenCorp?” Jim said incredulously. “Those fat cats who make the domes? The ones who are always claiming they’re making the world a better place whilst simultaneously screwing over the poor?” 

Michael nodded. “A few years ago she took over OrbisTech. They’re the ones who are providing all her technology and research. And, more recently, she managed to buy out Hope Plaza.”

“You’re serious?” Jim spluttered. “EdenCorp owns Hope Plaza?”

“Well not anymore. Now it’s a pile of rubble, thanks to you,” Michael reminded him.

“And I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” muttered Jim. “Taylor - did you know about this? You took your orders from Hope Plaza.”

“Hope Plaza was a joint military and civilian project,” Taylor explained. “I knew it had many private investors, but I couldn’t imagine…” He paused. “This was their plan all along. They never wanted a new utopia. They didn’t care about a new world for the good of humanity. They used me to create this place for the purpose of destroying it. They’ve been behind this all along. From the very beginning. That’s what Philbrick meant when he said Hope Plaza had nothing to do with Terra Nova.”

Michael remembered Philbrick and the night Lucas snuck off to meet with him in the woods all those years ago. He’d come through a portal, much to Michael and Taylor’s surprise. Philbrick had said there were bigger forces at play, right before Michael killed him, before the General could do the same to Taylor.

“He was following EdenCorp’s orders,” Taylor realised. “They  _ own _ Terra Nova. Always have done.”

“Now Nichol has lost control of Terra Nova, she wants to get back what’s hers,” added Jim with disgust.

“I know this is a lot to take in,” interrupted Michael. “But Nicol’s a businesswoman. She’s used to making deals and negotiations.”

“You mean manipulations,” spat Jim.

“What I’m saying is, you both have something the other wants. She’s willing to compromise.”

Jim shook his head scornfully.

Taylor drew a deep breath. Then he opened his hand to reveal Michael’s confiscated communication device. It read:

_ Window is open. _

_ -MN _

“How do we get to them?” he said.

Jim looked at Taylor incredulously. “Taylor, you can’t be serious?”

Taylor ignored him.

“The Badlands,” Michael answered. “Lucas will open the portal for us on their side so we can pass through.”

“Taylor, think about this. You really think you can reason with these people?” Jim argued.

“I have to try,” Taylor replied. “Michael’s right. Next time they’ll send through another army and Terra Nova can’t survive another battle like last time. I can’t have any more blood on my hands. Especially not Lieutenant Washington’s. I’ve been living with that grief for the past year. If I can do something to set her free...I have to try.”

Jim looked hesitant. “Shouldn’t we discuss this with the council first?”

Michael raised an eyebrow. “You have a council now?”

Taylor paused for a second, considering it. “There isn’t time. Besides, I might not like their input.” He sighed, looking at Jim seriously for a moment. “I have to do this.”

Jim stepped forward. “Well you’re not going alone.”

“I appreciate it, Jim, but if this is a trap, I’ll need you here to look after things. You have a family here. They need you more than I do.”

“Fine. But I’ll at least come with you to the Badlands. You know how dangerous it is out there.”

“Alright. It’s settled. We leave in an hour,” Taylor announced, narrowing his gaze at Michael. “We’ll set you up with some supplies. But for now, I’m giving this to Jim.”

Taylor handed the communication device to his head of security. 

Michael nodded. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me,” Taylor said abruptly. “See you in one hour.”


	4. Chapter 4

An hour later and Taylor had a Rhino prepped for the journey, filled with weapons and equipment. 

Michael squinted in the sun, enjoying the warmth on his face again as Jim walked him over to the vehicle. Then he saw the weapons being loaded.

“We won’t need all that,” he insisted.

“Trust me,” Taylor replied. “We will.”

Michael climbed onto the front of the Rhino, Jim appearing behind him. 

“I still don’t think this is a good idea,” Jim said to Taylor who was buckling into the driver’s seat. “Even if it’s not a trap, the portal’s still unstable. It might take months, years…”

“It won’t,” Michael promised. “Lucas will have the portal secured that end. When we walk through we won’t have lost any time at all.”

“We still don’t know what we’re messing with here.”

“It’s Wash,” Taylor said. “It’s a risk I’m willing to take. Now...are you sure you want to come to the Badlands?”

“If I can’t come with you to the future then the least I can do is make sure you get to the portal safely. I’m coming.” Jim pulled himself into the back of the rover.

The gate slowly raised for them and so Taylor put his foot down. As they drove away, avoiding the craters that had been left over from the battle, Michael watched the colony shrink away in the side mirror, once again leaving the place he used to call home.

After ages of silence weaving through trees and plant growth, Michael began to feel irritable. He watched Taylor concentrating on the path ahead, driving through the rough terrain. Void of emotion. 

“You should have told me,” Taylor finally said, as if sensing his gaze on him. “All that stuff with Mira and Lucas. You should have come to me the minute it started.”

Michael rolled his eyes. He really wasn’t in the mood to endure listening to how disappointed his father was in him. “Is that what I should have done?” he muttered sarcastically. 

“Maybe if you trusted me a little more those people wouldn’t have used you to get to me, just like they did with Lucas.”

“Trusted you like you trusted me, you mean? The second you banished Lucas, you turned against me. You treated me like some sort of villain.”

“Sounds like he was right to suspect you,” Jim pointed out behind them.

“Shannon.” Taylor warned him as Michael turned his attention towards the slats in the door.

Taylor released a heavy sigh. “You know, I wasn’t sure you’d ever come back. We put up tombstones for you and Lucas in Memorial Field as a way of...moving on. But I don’t think I ever did. I hoped you’d see sense. Maybe, when we get Wash back, we can work on some kind of reconciliation.” 

Michael scoffed at that. “You want to reconcile? After everything that’s happened?” He looked like he was about to snap. “You never wanted me and Alicia together in the first place. You made me feel  _ ashamed _ for loving her, like I was breaking some sacred oath or something. Or maybe you just didn’t like the idea of me being with her.” He remembered that horrible speech Lucas had given him about Alicia and their father. How he had seen something between them, even as a child _.  _ Michael had feared it for so long; he had refused to believe it. But perhaps there was some truth to it. It only made him angrier. “ _ I’m _ the one that kept her safe all this time.  _ Not you _ . And now you think we can just kiss and make up after everything you put me and Lucas through?” He turned away, disgusted. “You buried us long before you built those tombstones.”

Just like that, they soon went back to silence.

* * *

Some time later, the Rhino came to a sudden halt. 

Michael stared at his father. "Why have we stopped?"

"We're taking a break," Taylor answered, opening his door. 

The two climbed out and met Jim outside the vehicle. Michael was hesitant to stop now. 

"We can’t be that far,” Michael argued. We’re running out of time. And the portal isn’t anchored this side so we still have to find it."

"We've been driving for hours," Taylor countered. "Trust me. We'll need our rest before entering the Badlands. If your employers knew what was out there, they wouldn't even be opening that damn portal." 

"What are you talking about? What's out there?" Michael asked, becoming frustrated.

"You'll find out soon enough," replied Taylor obscurely. He took out a map and started looking over it with Jim.

"What is that?" Michael queried. He didn't recognise the map or its contents.

"It's a map of the Badlands,” his father answered. “As much as we could chart before it was too dangerous to go back out there. The rest is still unexplored."

"Too dangerous?" Michael repeated. "Tell me what's out there.” He remembered all those battered corpses of the Sixers and the Phoenix Group the night he and Lucas went back to the future. “What killed all those men?"

Taylor glanced down, sighing. There was a pain in his eyes, as if he was reliving something traumatic that he found too hard to talk about. 

Jim, seeing this, answered for him. "We're not exactly sure. But it's big, and it's smart. After you left through the portal, we brought a few of those bodies back for examination. We couldn't figure out what kind of animal could have caused injuries like that. So we surveyed the area. The first few times, it left us alone. It waited until we set up an encampment over there. Then it killed seven of us. We barely got out of there with our lives."

Michael glanced at his father and recognised that look of guilt and grief on his face.

"And you didn't get a good look at it?" he probed further. 

“It looks a bit like a Carno, but bigger,” Jim explained. “Malcolm calls it a Cruentusaur.” 

"We made the Badlands off limits from then on," added Taylor. "We couldn't even look for the fracture."

"And we're about to head right to that thing's front door," Michael realised. 

Jim scoffed. "Why do you think we brought all those guns?" 

"Sounds like guns'll be futile against that thing," Michael replied sceptically.

"That's why I'd prefer to stay the hell out of its way," Jim retorted.

Michael left them to it as he found a nearby stream to refill their canteens. He was growing more and more impatient. He feared the longer it took, the quicker he would lose his nerve for what was coming next. The knowledge that this thing was lurking in the Badlands only made things worse. But he couldn’t back out now. They were so close. 

Just as he was approaching the Rhino with the canteens, he heard Jim and his father talking in low voices.

"Last chance, Taylor. Can you really trust him?"

The Commander released a tired sigh. "Last time I decided to trust one of my sons, he nearly killed me. I won't make that mistake again. I know it's probably a trap. But they have Wash, and I have to get to her."

"So you believe him about Washington? No doubt in your mind that he's lying?"

"No. She's alive. That much I believe."

"And this Nichol person? EdenCorp? What do we do about them?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I'll do all I can from that side. You look after our home. Protect it for me."

"Of course," Jim said softly. "Of course I will. But are you absolutely sure you don't want me to come with you?"

"I'm sure. If it is a trap, there's no sense in us both getting caught. Besides I know the colony will be safe in your hands."

Michael cleared his throat, causing the two other men to turn around, surprised looks on their faces.

“We can’t waste anymore time,” said Michael, opening up the Rhino door. “Shall we?”

Michael found himself in the back of the Rhino this time, tapping his foot nervously. When he and Lucas walked to the Badlands, bruised and bleeding, it didn't feel nearly this long. 

"We're nearly there," Taylor called from the driver's seat after what seemed like hours of torturous silence. "Get ready."

Taylor stopped the car and the three of them got out the vehicle, weapons in hand. The area appeared to be secure. No sign of the giant, rampaging creature that had been described. 

Michael wandered around for a bit, recognising the familiar clearing from his last visit. This is where he had seen the bodies. Now all that was left were the many dirt-covered graves where Taylor and his men must have buried them. It gave him chills. Something did this. And it was still out there.

Taylor sensed his unease. "We set up our camp near here. We had the science team studying the area, soldiers posted around the perimeter. Weeks of silence and then, suddenly, it attacked. Took out five of my soldiers and two of Malcolm's team. Destroyed everything. Bigger than any Carno or Empirosaur I've ever seen, so we ruled that out pretty quickly. We didn't really have time to study it. Just got out of there as fast as we could."

"And hoped and prayed it didn't follow us back home," added Jim gravely.

"We lost some good people that day," sighed Taylor. "People we can't afford to lose."

"Maybe we can change that," offered Michael. "Ask Nichol for more scientists and soldiers. It can be part of the deal."

"I don't like this," Jim muttered. "We shouldn't have to ask for their permission."

"You're going to have to if you want fresh supplies. They own the portal, or at least the equipment that opens it."

"Or we could forget about it all, go home and live in peace," snapped Jim. "Cut our ties from them altogether." 

"And let Wash die?" Michael questioned angrily. "I'm not going to let that happen."

"Neither am I," the Commander joined in. Michael gave him a look. Was his father actually agreeing with him? "Besides, they can open the fracture out here. There's no ignoring that now. Even if we refuse to cooperate, they can still send their people out here anytime. And this time we won't have enough resources to beat them. At least with an agreement, we can do this on our terms "

Jim seemed surprised. "Taylor, you know whatever their business is here, you're not going to agree to it."

"I know. That's why I need you here if things go South. If I'm not around, Terra Nova will need you for whatever comes next."

Michael and Jim stared at him. Jim looked like he understood. Taylor wasn't expecting to agree to anything. He was going on a suicide mission.

"I hope you know what you're doing," said Michael. "Alicia's life depends on you."

"We'll get her out," Taylor said, determined. "I can promise you that."

They continued walking. It gave Michael the creeps being back here. When he arrived in the Badlands through the portal days earlier, it must have been a couple of klicks away because he never came across the site where he and Lucas witnessed the aftermath of the massacre. He was just concentrating on finding the colony and not dying before he got there. So returning here felt surreal. He still remembered Lucas sitting amongst the bodies, patching himself up to stop himself bleeding out. That day he thought he had lost everything. Lucas, Wash, his father, Skye. His home. In a way he had. He still lost them all, except Lucas. Lucas had been there all those months, working for Nichol's people. Lucas was the only one who understood.

Michael’s thoughts were interrupted when his father, wide-eyed, pointed a gun in his direction. 

Confused, Michael stared at him. "What are you doing?" Had his father finally lost it? 

"Don't move," Taylor whispered. 

Michael was suddenly aware of a fast, animal-like breathing behind him. It was close. Too close. Was it the monster he had been warned of?

"It's an Ovosaur," Taylor informed him. 

On seeing it, Jim raised his weapon at it. "Great," he muttered sarcastically. 

Taylor put his hand up, blocking Jim. "Don't provoke it. If there's nothing here it wants, it'll leave us alone."

Michael stayed as still as possible, but he could feel the creature coming closer.

"I don't think it's backing down," Jim inferred.

Taylor fired a warning shot to the ground which made Michael jump, but the Ovosaur wasn't spooked. It didn't even flinch.

"What the..."

Michael turned around just in time to see the dino launch at him. It knocked him over, scratching his face with its sharp spikes. But since it was small in size, Michael could just about hold it back long enough for Taylor to shoot it down. The creature crumpled down beside Michael who was breathing heavily, eager to pull himself back up. 

"Strange," remarked Taylor. "The Ovosaur aren't usually that aggressive."

"They were pretty aggressive when Malcolm and I came across them," scoffed Jim.

"That was at Outpost 3. They're obsessed with the cables there. Get between an Ovosaur and its nickel fix and it'll bite your face off. Otherwise it's usually pretty docile with humans."

"Well this isn't Outpost 3," snapped Michael, clearly still distraught as he winced at the scratches on his cheek. "What the hell was wrong with it?"

As soon as Michael finished his sentence, he heard the growling sounds coming through the trees. More were coming.

"Run," Jim instructed. "We can hide in the cave."

The three of them took off running, the Ovosaur following immediately after, biting at their heels. Taylor managed to turn back and wound one with a shot from his sonic, but they wouldn't stop coming. A beam from a flashlight used to put the scare in them and now not even a blast from a sonic rifle would stop them.

Michael whipped through weeds and bushes, hearing the creature right on his tail. Panting, he searched frantically for that cave. Dammit, why had Guzman never trained them to prepare for maniac Ovosaur? It was like they were possessed. 

Suddenly he saw it. The cave where he and Lucas had passed through the portal all those months ago. But where was the entrance? He scrambled along the outside of it, until he felt a figure grab him and pull him through a gap in the rock. 

Panicking, he fought the man off before realising it was Jim. They were inside the cave. Jim put a finger to his lips as they heard the remaining two Ovosaur sniff and scuttle at the gap Michael had escaped through. Michael could just about make out their shadows hovering, then they turned around and left. 

Michael spun around to see Taylor was already inside, exploring the cave. It was a different part to where the portal had been originally. It was much deeper than Michael first realised, but the few random items and coins scattered on the floor indicated that the portal must have been opening here too. 

"We studied some of the cave," Taylor muttered, picking up one of the coins and tossing it to the floor again. "Malcolm dated the treasure back to about seventeen hundred. Same as the figurehead Mira brought back from here during the occupation. Of course we got a lot of our data from The Eye, where a lot of this junk is stored now. But nothing we found out told us why... _ how _ it's here."

"Did your employers ever fill you in?" Jim asked Michael.

During those months of Lucas working laboriously in the lab, he had never really discussed his work with Michael – nothing Michael would have understood anyway. A lot of Lucas' science stuff went in one ear and out the other, and anything to do with the fracture made his brain hurt. But he did remember one thing. He thought back to that night when he disappeared through the portal. How the dark sky had been lit up by a meteorite shower. "Lucas said the portal would remain open as long as there was a meteorite shower. Perhaps it's been opening and closing all this time, whenever one occurred."

"We did consider it," replied Taylor. "The science team hypothesised about the connection between the meteorite and the portal."

"Malcolm said it could have something to do with the radiation he found in this area," added Jim.

"This place is radioactive?" Michael almost spluttered. 

"Don't worry. It's not dangerous anymore, apparently," said Taylor. "But there's enough left to somehow fire up the portal."

"Or so Malcolm says. Who knows? My eyes tend to glaze over whenever that guy talks," mocked Jim.

"What about the other scientists? What do they say? We have a meteorologist right?"

"You can ask her if you want," Jim quipped. "She's buried in Memorial Field with the other six."

Michael frowned. So many people had lost their lives for this thing. Sixers, Phoenix Group, Terra Novans. And no one even understood it. 

“The science team had a theory that the radiation is what created this dinosaur in the first place,” Taylor added. “If it was born here, and it grew up here, maybe it interfered with its genetics somehow. Made it into this mutated monster.”

“Interesting theory,” replied Michael. “Does that mean there could be others? Maybe that’s why the Ovosaur were acting like that?”

“Let’s hope not,” said Jim. “You know why Malcolm called it a Cruentusaur, right?”

Michael blinked at him.

“It means bloodthirsty.”

Michael felt a small shudder run down his spine at the explanation. It seemed to make a lot of sense, seeing what it was capable of. He shook the feeling of uneasiness away. 

"None of it matters," he said. "Wash matters. This deal matters. I don't really care how the portal works or how it got here, let's just find it."

Michael started making his way towards an exit when the ground rumbled. He stopped and glanced at his companions, as if they could somehow explain the strange movement. But the Commander and his trusted confidant looked just as confused as he did. Then the cave started shaking around them.

"What the..."

Was it an earthquake? It couldn't be. A loud roar accompanied the quake, louder than Michael had ever heard, as if the noise was being played directly in his ears. Michael's eyes widened. He trembled, turning his head to stare fearfully at his father.

"Stay quiet," Jim warned. 

Michael tried to slow his breathing as the creature came to a halt outside, the world becoming still again. The thing must be huge judging by the sound of it. He found himself edging back towards the gap in the cave, eager to get a glimpse of the thing that had killed so many.

Jim gave him a look as if to say be careful. Placing his head close to the cave wall, Michael peered silently through the gap. 

The first thing he saw were those thick, gargantuan legs. Brown and scaly and towering up to the sky. He couldn't see much else from his tiny vantage point, but this was enough to tell him that this beast could easily kill him with one stomp of its foot. Maybe that's what it did to all the men now lying in those unmarked graves.

Their loved ones, if they had any, didn't know that this was what killed them. He saw flashes of their mangled corpses, bleeding in a pile, and felt the nausea from that sight return, churning in his stomach as the image burned in his mind's eye. They would never know.

But now  _ he _ did.

He held his breath again when he saw the Ovosaur return, scurrying up to the creature. They stood, looking up at it as if for some recognition. 

Suddenly, a huge head came barrelling down and scooped up one of the Ovosaur in its mouth. A grotesque sound echoed through the woods as its sharp teeth sliced into the smaller dinosaur and devoured it whole. The second Ovosaur stood frozen. It didn't even try to run as the creature's jaw clamped around it and tore through the flesh. Michael didn't even know an Ovosaur could scream until now.

Horrified, he stepped back a little, only to slip on the damp rock. Jim caught him but not before Michael had let out a gasp that echoed through the cave. Panicked, Jim checked the gap in the wall. Had it heard? Maybe it was busy chewing on its previous prey. Perhaps if they remained as quiet as possible...

But then a giant head appeared right in front of Jim's face, the creature opening its mouth to deliver a deafening roar, revealing its many large teeth, bloodied with the remains of its last victims.

Cursing, Jim stumbled back and they watched with terror as the beast began to head-butt the wall of the cave over and over, causing the whole place to crumble. 

"We need to get out of here now!" the Commander yelled.

"And become that thing's second course? No thanks!" Michael shouted back as the world fell apart around him.

"Well it's either that or suffocate to death under a pile of rock," Jim retorted.

"Maybe I'll take my chances," Michael spat.

"We'll find another way out," decided Taylor. "This way!" 

They followed Taylor away from the creature and deeper into the cave, stumbling and dodging falling bits of rock as each violent thump threatened to collapse the whole thing on top of them.

Heart thudding violently inside his chest, Michael turned around just in time to see the ceiling fall in. Choking on dust, he stumbled away from the rubble unscathed. He glanced over at his father, whose head was bleeding but was otherwise uninjured. 

Taylor looked around him, brow furrowed. "Shannon?" 

Michael looked too. Jim was gone. They both turned to the rubble. 

"Shannon!"

"I'm here!" Came a muffled voice from the other side of the rock pile. "I'm fine."

"Can you get through?" 

"Maybe! Could take a while though."

Their voices seemed to quieten as Michael sensed a light on him. He slowly turned around. A blue hue. Unmistakable. It was the portal. 

Gently, Michael put a hand on his father's shoulder, guiding him to the sight. Taylor's eyes widened. They had found it.

"Shannon – you're not going to believe this. It's the portal! It's here!"

Jim was silent a beat. Then his muffled voice announced that they had to go through the portal. "Leave me here. You go help Wash."

"We can't just leave you here, Shannon."

"Yes you can! I can backtrack through the cave. Find where we came in."

"That thing is still out there," Michael reminded him. 

"I have no choice. I'll be careful. I still have those grenades."

Taylor looked hesitant. "Are you sure?" 

"I'm sure! You can trust me, Taylor. I'll get back to Terra Nova and take care of things until you get back."

"Good man," said Taylor. Then his voice quietened. "Thank you, Jim."

This was his goodbye, Michael realised. Jim didn't reply, but Michael wasn't interested in hearing his response anyway. 

"Dad. We have to go." 

Taylor looked down sadly, as if he were thinking this might be the last time he ever stepped foot here, in this land. In this time. Michael practically grabbed his arm to pull him along. 

"We have to go."

Taylor suddenly reanimated. He turned around and headed for that portal. It was about the mission again. It was about Wash. And he was determined to save her. 

They stepped round the corner and the light got brighter. That beautiful blue, full of hope, full of promise. It was time to go back. Taylor stood in front of the fracture, Michael behind him. The light was blinding, surrounding them. 

"Ready?" Michael asked him.

Taylor barely moved. "You know, I have plenty of regrets in the time that I've been here. I've done things I'm not proud of, I've...hurt people I care about. But my biggest regret is what happened with you two boys."

Michael seemed taken aback. "Dad..." 

"I tried to raise you right after your mother died. But I accept I must have done something wrong along the way."

Michael bit the inside of his cheek, preferring not to hear this right now. But for Taylor this was perhaps the last time he could say this and he wanted to get it all out while he still could.

"And I'm sorry if I didn't do right by you and Lucas. But what happened with you, Michael. That hit me harder than anything I’ve ever been through. I lost your mother, then I lost Lucas. Then I lost you."

Michael reached out to his father, taking him by the shoulders. "Dad. I'm sorry."

His father stared at him, searching for the sincerity in his eyes. But before he could find it, Michael used all his strength to grab the old man and force him through the portal. The glimmering light swallowed him instantly and Michael watched as his father disappeared from this world.

"I’m sorry," he repeated alone to himself in the empty cave as the light extinguished, the portal closing in front of him. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Days earlier**

Another day, another battle. But today was different. He wasn't out in the streets firing at civilians and militias today. They had another mission in mind for him. It was all finally happening. 

He stood on the beach, sinking into the white sands of the island. The flight had only been a few hours, but he still felt exhausted. He didn’t want to leave Chicago. He didn’t want to leave  _ her _ . But as of yet, the Bermuda portal was all that was up and running. And that meant spending his last hours of 2150 away from her.

"You ready?" Lucas' inconsiderate voice interrupted, jolting Michael out of his miserable thoughts. "They're waiting."

Michael faced his brother who somehow managed to look dishevelled even in a shirt and tie. He looked around the beach, feeling the warmth of the sun on his face and listening to the blue water lap against the shore. But it was no comfort to him now. 

"I'm ready."

Both men made their way to the hangar where Nichol and a team of scientists were waiting. She greeted them with her trademark smirk.

"Captain Taylor. Good to see you." 

He still hadn’t properly adjusted to his new rank. He knew he didn’t deserve it, that it was just another way for her to manipulate him. Still, he had tried to be a good officer. He had tried to look after the men and women in his command, but really he was still that juvenile corporal who couldn’t keep himself out of trouble, let alone his fellow soldiers. 

"At last, all your hard work has paid off, Captain. You can go home." 

She still somehow managed to make it sound like she had won. But it was true. She had. This is exactly what she had wanted. And Michael had lost - again.

"Now you know your mission. You know what to do."

"Yes," he confirmed in a monotonous voice.

"Our team will be monitoring communications 24/7 until we hear from you, whether that's days, weeks, even months. I expect to hear from you." She pursed her red, wrinkled lips, as if sensing his displeasure with the whole situation. "Don't worry. After this you'll be free to live your life wherever you want. Here, Terra Nova." She stepped closer and Michael tried to restrain himself from pushing her away from him and just running out the door. "We'll take excellent care of Lieutenant Washington. She's in good hands. I’ll be monitoring things back in Chicago so I’ll keep a close eye on her."

Of course, Michael thought she was full of crap. Alicia would be safer far, far away from EdenCorp. But she was alive and that was all he could hope for in these circumstances. 

"Good luck, Captain." 

He nodded at her. Then some armed guards escorted him to the portal entrance, Lucas trailing behind with some equipment. 

They stood in front of the glowing light solemnly. Lucas gave him a gun, a bottle of water, some food, and a device so they would be able to make contact once he was through.

"They'll confiscate these from you but you'll get them back. Once they trust you."

"How do you know they'll trust me?" Michael queried, taking the stuff and shoving it in a backpack. 

Lucas gave him one of those weird smiles Michael wasn't used to seeing. Their relationship had been rather strange these past months, united by their shared situation of playing slave to rich, corporate masterminds trying to make money off the suffering of their planet. The difference was Lucas chose to be here, and Michael couldn't quite forgive Lucas for everything he had done, especially to Wash. If it wasn't for Lucas, neither of them would be here. But they were still brothers, and Michael trusted him more than anyone else in this hell-hole. 

Lucas, still smiling, looked around him. "Doesn't this remind you of something? Many years ago? Our first debut into the world of prehistory?"

Michael frowned. He remembered. A long time ago, when they were just teenagers, waiting to go through the portal to meet with their father. He remembered the excitement, the relief of leaving for Terra Nova, a feeling he thought his brother shared when he promised him things were going to be better. And the whole time Lucas had more sinister plans. 

"This is not like that, Lucas," he muttered.

Lucas stared at Michael, the smile fading gradually. "Michael..." It seemed like he wanted to tell Michael something, perhaps weighing up the best way to say it, before deciding against it and pulling him into a hug. 

Stunned, Michael could barely react. Stuck in Lucas' awkward embrace, he eventually patted his brother on the back, accepting the gesture though being no less surprised by it. 

"Tell Bucket..." Lucas trailed off. Michael pulled away, nodding.

"I know."

It was no secret to Michael that his brother was in love with Skye Tate – whom he insisted on calling "Bucket". It was obvious he had an attraction to the girl during his occupation, a bond which in a strange, disturbing way Skye seemed to reciprocate. But these past few months, watching Lucas pine and talk about her the way he did, it was clear in some bizarre fashion that his twin brother had fallen in love. A feeling he clearly had not been familiar with, and now he was unsure how to deal with it. It may have been endearing had it not been Lucas. He treated Skye roughly, like a schoolboy bullying his crush. But Skye cared about him because he was Michael's brother. She saw redemption in him. He hoped she still saw redemption in both of them after the way they treated her.

Anyway, Michael knew all of this, how Lucas felt. But he didn't know how to communicate this to Skye, nor did he want to. She was better off away from both of them. So he decided not to worry about it.

Instead he concentrated on the mission. On the things he would have to do to get Alicia back. He was returning home to the place he and Lucas had been ostracised. And he was fearful of what was going to come next.

"Goodbye, brother," he said, then he turned and walked straight for the fracture. Leaving this world and stepping into another, just like in the beginning.

* * *

**Now**

Michael couldn't stop staring at where the portal had been, at where he had thrown his father through. There was no trace of him now, the path now closed. His only way to Alicia, gone.

"Taylor?" Jim's voice muffled through the rubble.

He wanted to go with his father. He really did. He even considered following him through. Then he could make sure Wash was still safe despite Taylor's arrival. But his mission wasn't over. And they would never release Wash until it was.

He wasn't sure what Nichol wanted with his father, but he knew it wasn't to kill him. Why go through all the trouble to bring him back to 2150 if just to murder him? No, there was something bigger planned for him. And Michael led him there.

He did hope to be a little more tactful, especially as Taylor had agreed to go of his own volition. But with Jim around, he had to be quick. 

"Hello? Anyone there?"

Damn. Jim. He was still on the other side of the rubble, probably wanting to make sure they had passed through safely and nothing had gone wrong. 

"I'm here," Michael yelled, climbing over loose rocks to get to the wall that had formed between them. 

"Michael? What happened? Where's the Commander?"

"He went through the portal. It closed before I could get through," Michael lied.

"Closed? I thought your buddies were keeping it open! I knew we couldn’t trust you!"

"I don't know what to tell you, Shannon. I was about to step through when the damn thing just cut off! You think I want to stay here while Wash is back there?"

"Alright, alright. Can you find a way out?"

"Maybe. I don't see any sunlight." Michael looked around the dingy cave. He spotted a hole in the ground that led deeper into the cave. "Wait. The quakes opened up a hole. Maybe there's a way out that way."

"Check it out. I'll try to meet you outside by the original entrance. But be careful - that thing is still out there."

"Copy that," Michael muttered. "How could I forget?" 

He moved slowly towards the hole, peering down apprehensively into the blackness. Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea after all, but he didn't relish the idea of digging his way out either. So he began to bend down towards it when there was another shake. 

Their friend was back, roaring outside, thrashing itself against the cave in frustration.

Michael tried to regain his balance but it was too late, as he grabbed the air and let out a panicked yell, he fell through the hole and felt himself tumbling. 

He landed on a pile of rocks, the sharp edges piercing his flesh, the pain exploding through his body. He couldn't contain the agony. He released an anguished scream that echoed through the cave. Everything hurt. He couldn't bear it. Moving just made it worse. 

But then he saw what he was lying on. They weren't rocks. 

They were skeletons.

The sudden spike of terror gave him the energy he needed to get up and away from there. He scrambled to his feet, only to stumble over another skeleton. And another. He stepped away and took in the sight of hundreds of bones belonging to dozens of skeletal figures. 

Once he had his breathing under control, he looked closer. These bodies were old.  _ Really old _ . Michael knelt by one of them, picking up the fragile skull and examining it. It felt brittle, rough to the touch, as pieces of dirt and bone crumbled off to the floor. 

It looked as though at one point it had been propped up against the rocks, but as the body decomposed, it looked more like a pile of bones and dust. Another skeleton seemed to be mixed in with it, as if the guy’s head was resting on the other’s lap when he died. Even weirder was that there appeared to be a rusted old knife amongst the dusty bones, making it appear as though he had been stabbed.

Michael wrinkled his nose. He couldn’t help but sense the closeness between the two bodies, as if they had been embracing rather than fighting. It actually gave him the creeps a little bit, so he decided to step away. 

“Michael? You in here?" He heard Jim yell. 

"I'm here."

Jim crawled through a narrow gap, pushing away loose rocks to get to Michael. "I heard you yell. You okay?" 

Michael turned to show him the object in his hand.

"Woah....where'd you find Yorrick?" questioned Jim, raising an eyebrow.

Michael gestured to the many skeletons spread out around the cave. 

"What the...where did they come from?" asked Jim.

“They must have come through the fracture.”

“How?”

"My guess? A ship." 

"The... the ship the figurehead came from?” said Jim. “We found out a little about it in The Eye, but not what happened to the crew. Guess we have our answer."

"How are they here though? How did they die?"

"Injuries? Can you imagine an 18th century ship hurtling in here off the high seas? Their ship must have been torn apart."

"I don't know...if that’s the case, where’s the ship?"

"Maybe they survived the wreck?” suggested Jim. “Died of natural causes and used the cave as a burial site. Take the bones back to Malcolm to analyse if you're that curious."

Jim opened up his pack and Michael tentatively placed the bones inside. "You mean you're going to take me back to Terra Nova?"

"I'm sure as hell not leaving you out here. I want you where I can keep an eye on you. I'll take you back under house arrest. Then we'll figure out what to do with you, and more importantly how to get Taylor back."

"And how are we going to do that?" Michael queried cynically. 

"Let's get out of here in one piece first...I think that thing's gone silent for the time being."

* * *

**2150**

In the blink of an eye, Taylor watched the whole world change around him. One moment he was with his son in the Badlands, the next he was...somewhere else. 

85 million years later. 

After regaining his balance - and his breath - he looked around him. He was in some kind of massive warehouse, or laboratory, and he was immediately greeted with several guards pointing their guns at him. 

Taylor looked back towards the closed portal, realising he was alone. So he had been right. His son had led him into a trap. He raised his hands slowly, facing the guards in front of him. “I believe you’ve been expecting me…”

“Better late than never,” one of the armed men quipped. He then spoke into his radio. “Let Nichol know...the Commander is here. We’ll get him prepped for the flight back to base.”

Taylor stared at the man. “Flight? Where am I? What is this place?”

The man lowered his gun and approached Taylor. “Welcome home, Commander.”

Taylor flinched as a needle pierced his neck. No more time for questions. Everything became blurry, his body weakened. He felt himself falling, then finally everything became black.

He awoke what must have been hours later, in the backseat of a rover, hearing voices, seeing blotches of light and buildings and people passing by. He could feel something attached to his face...a rebreather, the steady flow of clean oxygen the only comfort in an otherwise frightening situation. He couldn’t remember the last time he had to wear one of these. 

He was home. But something was different. In the brief seconds he could retain consciousness, he heard gunfire and explosions, screams and shouts and angry protests. This wasn’t the home he left several years before.

The next thing he was aware of was being in an elevator. He didn’t have the rebreather on anymore. The building’s good quality, filtered air indicated he was somewhere with a lot of money. They didn’t give the good stuff to just anybody. He stood groggily, sandwiched between two uniformed men wearing berets. Phoenix Group soldiers. He had hoped he’d never have to see those bullies again. 

The elevator climbed higher until eventually the doors opened. 

And then for the first time since Taylor saw him disappear through the fracture with Michael, bleeding out through bullet holes, he laid eyes upon his other son. 

“Lucas?”

For a few seconds, he stood there in silence. Drinking in the sight of this young man he had not been a father to in years. By now, he was used to Lucas' betrayal. It didn't sting to see him here, to know that he was working with Terra Nova's enemies. Not any more than usual, anyway. The last time they had been together, Lucas had tried to kill him, and then vowed to finish what he started the next time they saw each other. 

But now here he was, calmly standing opposite his father. Not much trace of the rabid, angry, dying man he last saw. Lucas seemed healthy, clean-shaven, dressed in smart clothing. If this had been under very different circumstances, Taylor might have even been proud of the sight of his son this way. 

“I'm here to show you to your quarters,” Lucas said.

“You mean my prison cell,” Taylor scoffed.

“Let's not get caught up in semantics, shall we? Follow me.”

The Phoenix Group soldiers pushed Taylor towards his son, then let Lucas escort his father through a corridor, passing various offices and locked doors.

“I'm impressed,” Taylor remarked as they walked. “You haven't tried to kill me yet.”

“Things have changed, somewhat. My employers have... _ plans  _ for you. But I'm assured that afterwards, I'm free to decide your fate whichever way I please. Besides, I not only want you dead, I want you to  _ live  _ with the knowledge that everything you've worked for has been destroyed. Then maybe you'll know how I felt.”

“It won't work, Lucas. It didn't work before and it won't work now.”

“Things are different now,” seethed Lucas, coming to a halt. Taylor stopped in his tracks, examining his son's expression, the weariness in his eyes. He was different than he was before. At Terra Nova, he had an energy, a fire that could not be extinguished. Now it was as if he was completely broken, not even the idea of revenge bringing that flame back to his eye. 

Forgetting himself, Taylor reached out for his son. He recognised that lost look, as if he were that frustrated little boy again, just trying to find his place in the world. “What are these people doing to you, Lucas?”

Instinctively, Lucas shook him off as if his touch was poisonous. “Don't touch me,” he snapped. Then he kept on walking.

The sudden outburst reminded Taylor why he was here. “Where is Lieutenant Washington? Michael said she was alive, that you didn't kill her. Show her to me!”

Lucas didn't even glance back. “That vile Lieutenant you both love so much – what's so special about her? I'm so tired hearing about it now. Month after month, Michael's persistent lamenting about her. It's enough to make me want to shoot her again.”

“Lucas!” Taylor barked. “Is she alive or not?”

A brief pause as Taylor watched Lucas' hunched shoulders lower. He turned slowly to face his father, that familiar frown across his face. “Fine. But then you'll go to your cell, and you'll shut up. You're not in charge anymore. Understand?”

Taylor was silent as Lucas walked him over to a door, eager to be reunited with his lieutenant again. He knew Michael was telling the truth – he wouldn't lie about Wash. But what condition was she in? After so long thinking she was dead, all those feelings of anger and guilt had transitioned to fear and concern for her well-being. Michael would have made sure she was safe...wouldn't he?

Lucas paused to type in the numbers on the keypad. The door buzzed and Lucas pushed it open. The doors led to a smaller corridor where the lighting was harsh and any sunlight was limited. 

“Where is she?” Taylor said, running out of patience. 

Lucas ignored him. He continued down the corridor. Taylor followed, noticing the rooms on either side, each with a door and a wide, glass window. Inside each one was a bed and a lavatory in the corner. Clearly, this was where the prisoners were being kept. This was where they had Wash.

Gesturing at the last cell in the corridor, Lucas showed Taylor to the window and let him see for himself. 

Taylor dubiously walked up to the window and peered in, unsure what would be waiting for him in there. 

There was a woman dressed in white, standing with her back to them, but it wasn’t Wash. 

Taylor’s heavy brows knitted together in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

Lucas went to the door, typing in a code. The door buzzed and let him in. Taylor followed, his impatience growing. 

“You said you were taking me to Wash,” he growled. “What is this?”

The woman in white turned and smiled at them. Taylor almost stepped back, stunned by what he saw in her arms. 

An infant, perhaps half a year old, his head full of fluffy, brown hair and eyes of a dark green colour. 

“Not the lieutenant but it’s all we have left of her at the moment,” said Lucas.

Taylor couldn’t believe his eyes. This child...it couldn’t be. 

“He’s your grandson,” Lucas clarified, as if Taylor was taking too long figuring it out himself. “Congratulations... _ Grandpa _ .”


	6. Chapter 6

**Chicago 2150**

Taylor watched the child, now asleep in his crib. The baby was so placid. It looked like he had been taken good care of. His little chest rose and fell peacefully. He had no idea what was really going on. Then again, neither did Taylor, exactly.

“Lucas...I don’t understand. Michael and Wash...they had a child?”

Lucas was watching from the other side of the room, arms crossed, eyes fixated on his tiny nephew. “Washington was at least a month or so along when I shot her back at Terra Nova. No one knew. Michael certainly didn’t. If  _ she _ did, she didn’t bother telling him. It was a pretty big surprise to all of us. The doctors ran some tests and discovered it. We had to keep her asleep for the entirety of her pregnancy.”

Taylor looked at his son in disbelief. “Why?” 

“I shot her point blank in the head with a sonic pistol,” explained Lucas. “There’s no way someone can survive that without some form of damage. Keeping her under was the only way to make sure her body was strong enough to repair itself.”

“Then where is she?” demanded Taylor. “Where is Wash?”

Lucas sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “It’s a long story. But she’s not here anymore.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Lucas pinched the skin between his eyes as if all this was giving him a headache. “Can we just focus on why you’re really here?”

“Why  _ am  _ I really here? It’s clearly not to negotiate with you, so...what despicable plan have your employers cooked up this time?”

“I’ll let my employer explain everything. Come on, she’ll want to meet you soon.” 

Lucas ushered his father out of the room, locking the baby inside. He led Taylor to another cell further down the corridor - a small, windowless room with a bed and a toilet. 

“Does Michael at least know he has a son?” Taylor murmured, as Lucas typed in the code to open the door. 

“It’s been several months since we heard from Michael,” Lucas answered, showing Taylor into the cell. “When he left, she was almost eight months, I suppose.” 

“It’s only been a few days for him,” Taylor realised. “He has no idea.” 

“And he won’t until he checks in,” said Lucas. “Until he completes his mission.”

“His mission? What else have you put him up to? What’s he planning on doing, Lucas? Tell me!”

Lucas scowled at him. “I don’t have to tell you anything. You’re  _ my _ prisoner, remember?” Then he pushed a button to close the door. “I hope you rot in here, old man,” Taylor heard his son’s muffled voice through the door. “Just like the rest of us.”

* * *

**The Badlands**

After some first aid and some cautious searching, Jim and Michael managed to find their vehicle and make a start back to Terra Nova. 

“You know the colony’s going to wonder what happened to the Commander,” Jim said as he drove them towards home, looking over at Michael in the passenger seat.

“And I’m sure you’ll tell them. I know what people will think. I show up after all this time and suddenly the Commander’s missing.”

“Whether it was a trap or not, you’re still to blame,” Jim told him, concentrating on the path ahead of them. “The colonists aren’t gonna take it well. Hell, I’m not taking it well and I was there.”

"I know you don't trust me. I don't entirely blame you. But everything I've done since the beginning has been for Alicia."

"That's the problem, Michael. You would cross your own people, your own father, if it meant saving Wash. I'm pretty sure that's why there are such strict rules in place about this kind of thing."

Michael snorted. “You’re being a bit of a hypocrite aren’t you? Suddenly you’re interested in the rules?”

Jim looked away. “That’s different.”

"Is it? Don't play this off like I'm just some disobedient soldier who couldn't do as he was told. If those people had Elisabeth or one of your kids, what would you do? I'm pretty sure you would have done anything, no matter the cost, to get them out of harm's way."

"Maybe you're right. But you and I are different. I wouldn’t put other people in danger to protect my family.”

Michael rolled his eyes. “Get off your high horse, Jim,” he snapped “Over twenty people died that day at Hope Plaza. Your hands aren’t clean in all this.”

That shut him up for a long moment. He turned away from him. Then he cleared his throat. “Taylor and I agreed that was what was best for Terra Nova…”

“Oh, it was at the time. Just not for the people on the wrong side of the fracture.”

Jim seemed upset. “This place is what’s important to me now. This colony is my family, and I trust them to back me up. I trust the Commander to back me up."

"Must be nice having that kind of confidence in him,” scoffed Michael. “I did once, then he banished my brother. He never trusted either of us after that. But you? You cheated your way to get here, and he trusted you right off the bat."

"I earned that trust."

"And I didn't? I did everything he wanted of me. I was the military son, the son he was proud of. One misdemeanor and I'm an outcast."

"Working for the Sixers is not a misdemeanor, Michael. Your father thought you were headed down the same path as Lucas."

"We are  _ not _ the same. I know that's what he thought. That I was becoming Lucas. But I wasn't. I was always trying to do the right thing, fighting to protect the people I love."

"You were manipulated. Whether you had good intentions or not. Your actions hurt the colony."

"Right,” Michael said under his breath. “And there's nothing I can do to win back everyone's trust."

"I didn't say that. Your father meant for Terra Nova to be a place for second chances. If you can prove yourself worthy to him, or to the colony, you'll find your place again."

Michael didn’t seem convinced. "Is that what Skye did?" He knew Skye had been through a similar moral dilemma, being forced to spy for the Sixers. She had obviously assimilated back into the colony well. 

"When she helped save the Commander, she proved herself. It wasn't easy for her. She struggled for a while, she had to cope with what she did and shooting Lucas - not knowing if he was dead or alive - that took its toll on her. It's not going to be easy, but it's worth it."

Michael thought about Skye, what she must have been going through since he left. “Did she ever mention me?" She must hate him after what he did. He deserved it.

"You were family to her, Michael. She missed you. And she loves you. That will never change."

Michael fell silent for a moment, slightly comforted by Jim’s words. He watched the world pass by through the slats in the window.

They drove for a few more hours, until the sun started setting. And then as the path in front seemed to disappear into blackness, Jim suggested they make camp until it was light again.

Michael couldn’t help thinking about everything he’d seen as he sat in front of the campfire. It had been an insane day. He kept replaying the moment he had pushed his father through the portal. It was part of the plan, he tried to tell himself. He had to do it. 

He cleared his throat, glancing at Jim opposite through the fire. "So...the Commander. I assume you have a plan to get him back?"

"Malcolm,” Jim said. “I know we told him not to try to repair the Portal Terminus after last time but circumstances have changed. We need that portal up and running again. And we need it to go both ways."

"That'll be tricky without Lucas." 

"No kidding, and it'll be difficult getting Malcolm back out to the Badlands after the last time."

"After the dino attack?" Michael queried.

Jim paused. "He was out here for a bit after that...but that's a story for another time."

Michael arched an eyebrow curiously. 

Jim sighed. “A lot has changed since you’ve been gone, Michael. We’ve had to ration our power, our food. Some people got desperate.”

“I know what it’s like to feel desperate,” Michael muttered, poking the campfire with a stick.

“I know you do.” Jim paused, watching him with some sympathy. “Look, I still don’t trust you. I know you were a good kid once, and the Commander loved you more than anything -” 

Michael scoffed silently.

“-but you’re going to have to earn back any trust you lost back then. Understand?”

Michael looked over at Jim. “I understand,” he said bitterly.

Get some rest,” Jim told him, then he rolled over and all Michael could hear was the breeze rustling through the trees and the odd howl in the distance. 

The ex-corporal looked down at Jim sleeping. His pistol was only a few inches away. He thought about doing what he had been instructed to do.

He thought long and hard about killing Jim Shannon.

It would be much easier than he thought it would be. The man was asleep, had left his weapon within reach, and left him unbonded for the night. He could do it right here, right now. And be one step closer to seeing Alicia again. 

When they told him this was what he had to do, he refused. He and Shannon had their differences, but Jim wasn’t a bad man. He had a life in Terra Nova, a family. He didn’t deserve to die.

But neither did Alicia. There wasn’t much left on this earth he wouldn’t do to protect that woman, and Nichol knew that. His love for her was a curse as much as it was a blessing. So he agreed, as part of his mission, he would have to get rid of Jim Shannon.

With trembling hands, Michael quietly picked up the sonic and set it to its lethal setting. He pointed it at Jim, his father’s second in command and trusted ally. 

It made sense. With Jim out of the way, it would be much easier to complete his mission. He could lie about what happened, tell the colony that Jim went through the portal with Taylor, or perhaps that he was killed by whatever was in the Badlands. Whether they believed him was another matter… 

He thought about Jim’s cruel treatment of him during the Phillbrick investigation. He remembered Jim fighting him and pushing his face into Phillbrick’s skeletal remains, compelling him to admit he was a killer and a traitor. He replayed the scene in his head, the anger rising up in him again. 

But still, he couldn’t pull the trigger.

He could practically hear Nichol in his head, mocking him with disgust.  _ I knew it. You’re weak. You still care about these people. Even after how they treated you. Pathetic. _

He closed his eyes and tried to block her out. He envisioned Alicia’s face instead. Her gleaming brown eyes and long, dark hair. Her secret smile, reserved only for him. This was all for her. And if she had known it, she would never forgive him. She would be sick if she knew Michael had been reduced to this. She would hate him as much as he hated himself. 

God, what was he  _ doing _ ? He lowered the gun, shaking violently. He couldn’t do this.

Before he did anything else, he needed to check in with 2150. Michael was desperate to talk to the future, to find out how Alicia was. It had been half a year since he saw her last. Things must have changed since then. How was she? 

But how could he talk to the future? Jim confiscated his communicator. He looked back down at Jim who was still sound asleep. Michael slowly crept to Jim’s pack and started feeling around for the device. Avoiding that old, crumbly skull, his fingers eventually touched a smooth, rectangular object in one of the pockets and he retrieved it from the bag as quietly as possible. He’d found it. Luckily Jim had the good sense to bring it with him.

Cautiously, he watched Jim as he slept, and winced as a low, rumbling snore projected from his mouth. God, how did Elisabeth put up with  _ that?  _ He wondered. Still, at least he was out for the count. Michael took the device and skulked into the woods, his heart beating fast. He hoped that this would work. They received his earlier message, which was a good sign. But now they had the Commander, would they respond to him?

There was only one way to find out. 

Michael stopped and looked around. This seemed like a good enough spot. No dinos, no people. No…giant monsters. He started typing on the device as he did earlier. 

_ Captain Taylor requesting update. _

He waited a moment. There was no response.

_ This is Captain Taylor. Please respond. Update required. _

Come on. He had done as they asked. It had been half a year. Surely they could give him one update. He was just about to give up when…

_ Message received…standby. _

Suddenly the device started beeping. They were responding, at last! Michael set down the device, his chest pounding. Then a hologram beamed out from the device, directly in front of Michael.

It was Lucas.

He looked much the same as he did when he’d left - baggy-eyed as if he hadn’t slept for a month. Michael wouldn’t be surprised if he hadn’t. His eyes widened when he saw Michael.

“I almost didn’t believe it,” Lucas said, smiling. “It’s been months…we’d almost given up. Then we got your message and the Commander…he’s here. He’s actually here. You did it, Michael. Nichol’s pleased with you.”

Michael frowned. “I don’t care about her, Lucas. Just tell me….is Alicia…are  _ they _ okay?”

Even in hologram form, Michael noticed the dark flash in his brother’s eyes. Something was wrong.

“Michael, it’s been a long time…a lot has changed, obviously.”

“What do you mean?” Michael demanded. “Is Alicia alright?”

“She’s fine,” Lucas insisted. 

All of Michael’s muscles tensed at once. “I want to see her, let me see her.”

“I can’t do that, Michael. I’m lucky I can even talk to you right now. Nichol’s busy with the Commander and I managed to intercept your message, but I can’t stay for much longer. Everything has kicked off now. As far as Nichol is concerned you have your orders. Terra Nova is in your hands for now. Nichol wouldn’t be happy if she knew you were contacting us outside of our agreed terms.”

“But Lucas…”

“The important thing is Washington and your son are safe.”

Michael fell silent; a strange feeling formed in his chest. 

“My son?” He placed a hand over his mouth, his eyes welling. “I have a son?”

“Yes you do. Congratulations,” Lucas said abruptly. “Listen, Michael, I have to go.”

“Wait, wait! How is he? Is he healthy? Is he…”

“Goodbye, Michael. Don’t contact us again unless you have some useful intel, or she won’t be happy.”

The light disappeared suddenly and the woods returned to darkness. Lucas, and the future, was gone. Michael tried to compose himself. But there were so many questions running through his head. How were Alicia and the baby? Were they together? Happy? What was the boy’s name? What did he look like? He was desperate to know. But he couldn’t. Not yet.

A rustling came from behind him. He swerved round rapidly, ready to fight.

“Who the hell were you talking to?” 

It was Jim. Suspicion blanketed his face as he stared at Michael, awaiting an answer.

“No one,” Michael answered, dry-mouthed. But Jim could still hear the emotion in his voice. He could tell the former corporal was lying.

Jim’s gaze dropped to the floor, where he saw the communication device resting in the grass. Furiously, he went to grab it.

“No one, huh? I see you swiped this from my pack. Knew I should have kept a closer eye on you. So who were you talking to? Your boss?”

Michael sighed heavily. “I was talking to Lucas.” 

“Your brother? What did he say?”

“I had to know, alright? I had to know how Alicia was. I was desperate, it’s been months, I…”

“Did he mention the Commander? Is he alright?”

Michael swallowed. “He mentioned they had him, but not much else. It seemed like he was okay.”

“ _ Seemed _ ?” Jim questioned. “You don’t seem that worried about your old man. Maybe you  _ are _ just like Lucas.”

“I  _ am _ concerned, I’m just…” Michael breathed heavily, looking into Jim’s hostile gaze. “I just found out I have a son,” he admitted, a lump forming in his throat again. He still couldn’t quite believe it.

Jim softened. “A son?” He looked confused. “I don’t understand.”

“Alicia was pregnant when Lucas shot her. She gave birth while I was…time travelling.” He took a step towards Jim, green eyes wide and desperate. “Look, Jim. I know you don’t trust me but trust this…those people have the woman I love, and they have my son. I am not on their side. All I want is my family back. So…whatever it takes, I will help you get the Commander back. Because I would do anything to get back to the future and save my family.”

Jim stared at Michael for what seemed like a very long time. It was as if he had finally made a connection with the man. Now Michael had something in common with Jim. He had a family to protect. Jim had travelled millions of years to save his family. He could understand Michael doing the same to save his.

“Alright,” Jim said, the barriers finally coming down slightly. “We’ll come up with a plan once we’re home. But if you want to get your family back, you’re gonna need to start acting more trustworthy. So no more lies, no more stealing, no more…sneaking into the woods to talk to these people unless I say so. Agreed?”

_ No more trying to kill you? _ Michael thought. He held his hands up, nodding. “Agreed. No tricks here.”

“Right. Get some sleep. We roll out at dawn.” 

The two men returned to their camp and managed to catch some sleep before daylight. Jim was eager to get back, so he drove the rest of the way as soon as visibility improved. Michael looked out at their green surroundings, funnily enough beginning to recognise certain areas, certain trees and streams. They were getting close.

“I’m sending you back to your quarters under close guard,” Jim stated once Terra Nova was in sight. “I’ve got to explain to the colony what’s happening.”

Michael nodded in agreement. It wouldn’t be easy settling back into the colony. The Terra Novans still viewed him with a lot of hurt and suspicion, especially those he once called friends and family. But hopefully, with Jim on side, it would help the transition be a little smoother. 

He expected to be treated like a criminal. And he expected to change that – with time.

The gates lifted, letting the Rhino drive into the colony. Jim waved to the soldiers as he parked up and he ordered them to take Michael to his house with an armed guard posted outside.

The soldiers seemed perplexed.

“Where’s Commander Taylor?” they asked.

“I’ll explain everything. Just take him. Afterwards, gather everyone outside. I need to address the colony.”

Two of the officers looked at each other, then nodded before approaching Michael and escorting him home. A crowd was already forming beneath the Command Centre as Michael was led across the colony. He caught everyone’s concerned gazes, overheard their worried chatter:

_ “I told you he was back.” _

_ “What does this mean?” _

_ “Are we under attack again?” _

_ “Where’s the Commander?” _

He scanned the crowds for Skye. It took a moment but he found her, next to Josh. She was staring at him. Hurt. Confused. Scared. She didn’t know what this meant either. 

As Michael was dragged to his old, abandoned house, he could just about hear the gasps and exclamations of terror at the news the Commander was gone. 

No doubt they would all blame him. Earning the trust of the Terra Novans was going to be a challenge.

But it had to be done.

For the mission.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you to those lovelies who are reading! I am aiming to get 2 chapters a week posted now, though it seems I'm never happy and constantly editing, which is why this one is a little late. If you're enjoying or have any comments, please leave a review. I'm sure it would make my entire year to know people are enjoying this. I also just wanted to let you know I have made a new OC vid with my good friend littletonpace and it features Michael! Please check it out :) Link:[Hold On For Your Life | OC Collab](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAUdjyUCCvA)**

* * *

_He was in the Badlands again. Alone. Running. Someone was after him. He wasn't sure who. All he knew was that he had to run. He wanted to sprint faster but it was impossible; it was like his feet had weights tied to them, dragging him down relentlessly. Every time he tried to run, it felt like he was just going backwards. And whoever was after him was getting closer and closer with each passing moment._

_Eventually, he came to a clearing._

_He froze, the sight in front of him causing him to stare up with fascination._

_A large sailing ship stood in front of him, entwined in branches and surrounded by trees and foliage. He knew why it was here. It had come through the portal. It had brought those people here. He had a weird sense that they were inside. He had to find them. He had to stop them..._

_He crawled through a gap in the ship's cabin. Inside it was dark and muggy; the wood rotten and weak. It creaked every time he made a step. He looked around but..._

_It was too late._

_All around the cabin were several bodies. For some reason they were all dressed in Phoenix Group uniforms. As his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, he gasped and stumbled backwards. He knew these people._

_Despite the odd uniforms, he instantly recognised Skye lying on her back, her skull cracked open. Her usual blue eyes were a glassy grey colour. For some reason she had a gun in her hand. Next to her was her mother and Tasha, both covered in blood. Both long dead. As he stepped closer, he saw Boylan hunched over himself. It seemed he had perished from a stab wound. Jim was there too, on his side, clutching a bloody rock. His chest had a hole in it._

_He was shaking as he walked further, stepping over the corpses. He looked up towards the edge of the cabin and saw another familiar face sitting up against the wall._

_With horror, he realised it was his father. The old man was crying; he was hurt. A dagger was in his side, the blood gushing out of him. A man was lying over him, his head in the Commander's lap. Lucas. His neck was broken. Their father was embracing him sorrowfully._

" _I had to," he sobbed. "I had no choice."_

_Michael felt his blood run cold. They had done this to each other. All of them. He stepped back, wanting to be sick._

" _Michael."_

_He spun round to see Alicia in her medical gown. She was knelt beside Skye, brushing the hair out of her pale face. She looked up at him, her usually brown eyes were a blood red._

" _Why did you do this?" she said, horrified._

_He stared at her, confused. Distressed. She looked so angry with him._

" _Alicia. I...I didn't do this."_

" _You were supposed to protect them," she said, her lip curling in disgust. Her crimson eyes were bleeding down her cheeks._

_He didn't know what to do, what to say. In the distance, he thought he could hear a baby crying._

_Alicia stood and bolted towards him. Her demonic expression was so close to his face, he could scarcely look away, no matter how much he wanted to. The infant's crying grew louder; deafening. He could barely hear anything else. Except Alicia, scowling at him through those bloodied irises:_

" _You did this."_

Michael woke up, yelling. He looked around him in a panic. He was in his bedroom in Terra Nova; he was home. He calmed his breathing, sitting up and holding his head. He wasn't unused to nightmares, but this one felt particularly intense. Perhaps because there had been such a connection to the real-life corpses he had found the previous day. It was like his mind had tried to fill in the gaps for him. He didn't like what it had come up with.

Sleep seemed pretty impossible after that. He tried not to think about the bodies. He tried not to think about that demonic version of Wash, blaming him for the deaths of his closest friends and family. It made him shudder. Instead, his thoughts naturally turned to the real Alicia and their new son. He didn't even know his child's name, what he looked like, when he was born. He had missed it all. All he wanted was to see him. And Alicia. But he couldn't. Not yet.

Instead of tossing and turning any longer, Michael rolled out of bed and began pacing around the house.

He was still getting used to being in his old house, in his old bed. Being alone here was even stranger. It had been years since Lucas had walked these halls, so that wasn't so unusual. Not having his father here was the strange part. Not having him in the next room, his loud snores projecting through the thin walls. Or seeing him in the living room, scrolling through the notes on his Plex. Or hearing him tell one of his many war stories as they ate dinner together at the dining table. He let a smile creep onto his lips at the happier memories in this house. Before he turned against the Commander, when they were kindred spirits, when the father was proud of the son. He wished things were as easy as they were back then.

But all the good things here had come to an end, at least for him. That's why he left. That's why he agreed to the mission.

That's what he had to focus on. Not dwell on the past.

He peered into Lucas' room, purged of all his notes and clutter, but otherwise unchanged. He could almost picture him sitting at his desk, scribbling away, telling Michael to piss off and let him work. Not much had changed there.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a tapping coming from the living room window. It took a few moments to determine what the source of the noise was, when eventually, as he came closer, the image of a young woman with long brunette hair came in to focus, waving at him from the other side of the glass.

His heart began to pound.

He raised the window panel to reveal Skye Tate. She stared at him for a couple of seconds, blue eyes wide with disbelief, before climbing through the gap in the window. Lucky for her, her petite frame allowed her to climb through easily. It wasn't the first time she had attempted to squeeze through a narrow space, as Michael was well aware of her mischievous nature. Sneaking in or out of places was very much Skye's forte'. He had somewhat encouraged it in the past, or maybe _she_ had encouraged _him_.

"They wouldn't let me see you!" she panted, close to tears. "Michael. Everyone said you were dead. You and Lucas."

Michael couldn't speak.

From her expression it looked as though all those emotions from their last meeting had come rushing back - it certainly had for Michael who let all that guilt slam into him at once. How could he have done that to his best friend? These last six months he had wondered - _feared_ \- how Skye would react to seeing him again. And now it was finally happening. All the words, excuses, apologies he had rehearsed tirelessly in his head over and over again, now he could barely string a sentence together.

"Skye...I...I'm…"

"I'm sorry," she blurted, beating him to the punch. "All I've wanted this past year is to tell you that." Her lips were trembling and suddenly she buried herself in his arms.

Slightly taken aback at first, Michael held her head close to his chest, relieved to feel her embrace again. He wasn't sure he ever would.

"You have nothing to feel sorry for. I should have never done what I did. I could never hurt you, Skye."

She pulled back, smiling weakly, the tears shining in her eyes. "I know. I should never have got involved with Lucas...Is he…?"

"He's fine."

"Good." She sighed heavily, as if a year-long burden had finally been released. "After all this time, it's good to know he's okay. That I didn't…"

Michael gently took hold of her shoulders. "You were protecting the Commander. There was a time I would have done the same thing." And he had, he reminded himself with a shudder, thinking of General Philbrick's decaying corpse. The first time he had killed to protect his father. To protect the colony. How things had changed.

Skye's relief gradually changed to curiosity as she wiped the moisture from her eyes. "Where have you two been? Taylor was kind of vague when you disappeared."

Michael explained to her what happened. About the other fracture in the Badlands and how Lucas' employers had been waiting for them on the other side. How they had recruited Michael to be in their army, how Wash was alive and how he had gone back there to save her.

They were sitting down on the couch now, listening to each other like old times. Skye would always listen.

"I can't believe it," said Skye. "And it's been six months for you? Is that all?"

Michael nodded. "They told me this could happen, since the fracture on this side isn't anchored. Lucas worked hard for months trying to get me back here. He was looking pretty rough by the end."

"Mr. Shannon didn't give much away about what happened in the Badlands today. He said there was an incident, that Taylor was gone and you were back and that they were going to find a way to open the portal again. He didn't mention that Lieutenant Washington was still alive. Michael...I'm so glad she's alright."

"Yeah. I'd still rather she be out of that place though." He smiled sadly. "All of them. Even Lucas. Even after everything, he's still my brother."

Skye let her eyes drop to her lap, once again remembering the last time the three of them had been together. "I didn't mean to choose sides."

"I shouldn't have expected you to. I can't describe what was going through my head. I thought Alicia was dead. And that Lucas...the things he said."

"I get it," Skye reassured him. "You were mad with grief. I've been there."

Michael looked down at his hands as he wrung them together. "These few months I've seen a different side to Lucas. I don't know why he lets those people bully him. I guess his need for revenge is more important than his dignity."

"Did he ever mention me?" Skye queried. It sounded like the question had been on her lips the whole evening.

"Yes. Occasionally. Except he called you 'Bucket'." Michael recalled the last conversation he had with Lucas. _Tell Bucket..._ But he had nothing he could say. "He...He wanted you to know he was thinking of you," Michael told her.

Skye's lips parted, she seemed confused. "Even after I shot him...after I betrayed him. He doesn't hate me?"

Michael sighed. "I don't think he could ever hate you, Skye. I've never seen him this way with anybody," he admitted. "I didn't think he was capable of it anymore."

Skye's gaze drifted off into the distance, a small frown on her lips. "I always knew he felt something for me. He thinks we're the same. Traitors. Outcasts. Different from everyone else. I thought he was right. I felt so isolated from everyone. Even you."

"You're nothing like him, Skye. My dad must trust you now after what you did for him."

"Of course he does, but it doesn't change what I did."

"You did all those things for your mom." He paused, realising the last time he saw Deborah Tate she was recovering from a long illness. She had undergone new treatment at Terra Nova after being rescued from the Sixers by reinstated security officer, Curran. "How _is_ your mom?"

"She's good." Skye smiled widely. "Really good. The treatment has made her a new woman."

"Good, I'm glad." It was reassuring to Michael that Deborah was doing so well. Skye deserved her mother. She deserved to be happy.

As it crept further into the night, Skye took her leave before her mother noticed she was gone. Michael hugged her goodbye. Skye leant up and kissed his cheek.

"I missed you so much," she said.

"I missed you too."

She smiled at him. He had missed her smiling at him like that. Then she climbed back out the window and Michael went back to bed.

This time he slept a little better.


	8. Chapter 8

_ Thump thump thump. _

The loud noises coming from his front door woke him up with a start. Groggily, he pulled himself out of bed to answer his intruder.

To his unpleasant surprise, it was Corporal Reynolds.

“Mark,” yawned Michael. “Come in.”

Reynolds walked inside the house. He had a tray containing some more fruit and oatmeal. Wordlessly, Reynolds placed the food on the table.

“For me? You shouldn’t have,” Michael teased, sensing Reynold’s frosty attitude. “I appreciate it, you know. Must be difficult looking after a traitor of the colony.”

Reynolds turned to face Michael, a deep frown on his lips. 

“You could set your boys on me again?” suggested Michael unhelpfully, recalling once again the beating he received from the corporal’s vengeful subordinates all that time ago. 

“That was a long time ago,” admitted Mark. He dropped his gaze and bit the inside of his cheek. “My men were angry...They needed to do something. I was wrong to let them.”

Michael nodded. “Well, I appreciate you apologising. I know we’ve had our differences. But a lot has changed. I’m not the man you thought I was.” He folded his arms, looking Reynolds in the eyes. “And you’re clearly not the man everyone thinks you are.”

Reynold’s brow furrowed with confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“Nothing,” claimed Michael innocently. “Just that perhaps there are some people around here that need to take a long hard look at themselves before they judge others.” He sat down at the table to inspect his oatmeal as Reynolds stared holes into him. “What? No toast?”

“Just be quick and eat it,” Reynolds barked, shaking off Michael’s words. “Our head of security wants to talk to you.”

After breakfast, Reynolds escorted Michael back to the Command Centre. The market was on that morning, however just like he had seen previously, the stalls appeared limited as he walked past them. The produce seemed in short supply, with minimal food, clothing, and even less tech. Casey was out in his wheelchair at his stall, a frustrated frown on his features. 

As Michael walked by, Casey caught him staring.

“What the hell are you looking at, traitor?” Casey barked.

“Nice to see you too, Durwin,” replied Michael sarcastically. “Did your supplier let you down at the last minute?” he joked, noticing the lack of items at Casey’s store today.

“Very funny. You know, we had to make a lot of sacrifices while you Taylor boys were off cosying up to the enemy,” Casey said bitterly. 

“I can see that,” Michael said, taking in the sad variety of items on display. “Getting cut off from the future really had a bad effect on the colony, huh?”

“No kidding,” Casey said, tone dripping with sarcasm. “I had to surrender all my stuff for rationing. All the extra power cells, plexes, etcetera, went to the Infirmary and the science department. They need them more than us, I guess...But we’re getting by. No thanks to you.”

Michael didn’t respond. He shook his head and let Reynolds take him the rest of the way to the Command Centre. 

“It’s only been a year,” Michael said to Reynolds as they walked. “How did things get this bad?” 

“You’ll remember the colony was already in a bad state after the attack,” Reynolds explained sourly. “It took a long time to rebuild, and with limited supplies, it took its toll.”

The events of that time clearly still scarred the colony, physically as well as emotionally within the people that survived it. It wasn’t a day that Michael wanted to remember, but it was obvious to him now that it wasn’t just him suffering the consequences of it.

They climbed the stairs into the Command Centre.

“Morning, Michael,” Jim greeted as Reynolds brought Michael into the room. Jim was already hard at work, a mug of coffee in one hand and a plex in the other. “Sit.”

Michael looked down at that seat again, the one where he had sat so many times and been accused, yelled at, judged. “I’ll stand. Thanks.”

Jim nodded at Reynolds, who left them in peace. Then he stood at the Commander’s desk and drew in a deep breath. “You and I have some work to do.”

Michael complied with Jim’s wishes. If he wasn’t going to kill Jim, he was going to have to win his trust. And that wasn’t going to be easy. So Michael told him everything he could. 

He told Jim everything he knew about Miranda Nichol and the companies she owned. How all the tech they used in Terra Nova came from her and the scientists who worked for her. How she sent the Phoenix Group to mine Terra Nova for its minerals and how she’d had Lucas wrapped around her little finger for years. He explained how she had recruited Michael to fight her war and that the world in 2150 seemed to be ending one minute at a time, and how she was keeping Alicia and their son captive until he brought Commander Taylor to her.

All of it was true, even when he claimed not to know what Nichol’s plans with Taylor were. Jim was sceptical of that. 

“But why would they leave you here?” Jim probed. “Why cut off the portal if you’d done what they’d asked?”

“Maybe something went wrong.”

“Or your job isn’t done,” Jim guessed suspiciously. “As long as she has Wash, she can make you do anything she wants.”

“You’re right,” Michael agreed. “So it’s in all of our best interests to get that portal working, to get Wash and my father back here as soon as possible.”

“At least that’s something we can both agree on,” Jim murmured. “Look, I appreciate you cooperating and telling me everything you know, but as long as this Nichol woman has something over you, you can’t be trusted. For now I’m going to keep you under close watch. I’ll keep you updated.”

“Fine,” sighed Michael. “Do what you have to do.” 

“I’ll get Reynolds to escort you back to your house.”

Jim was about to summon Reynolds back in, when Doctor Malcolm Wallace breezed through the doors of the Command Centre, looking fresh with excitement. 

“Malcolm…how is the research going?” Jim asked.

Malcolm entered the room, glancing at Michael nervously. 

“It’s okay, Malcolm. You can speak in front of him.”

As soon as Jim said it, Malcolm had already launched into discussing his findings. “Jim, those bones you brought back…it’s just as you suspected. They do indeed appear to be as old as the figurehead Mira’s people brought back. He was a male, in the 50+ bracket. Quite possibly the captain. The other bones appear to be from a younger male in his 20s.”

Michael suddenly thought back to his nightmare. He still shuddered at the sight of his father holding Lucas, bleeding out and crying over his corpse. Did something similar happen to these men?

“There’s no doubt about it, a ship or some part of it came through that portal and landed in the Badlands. It seems Corporal Taylor’s ideology about this portal being the so-called Bermuda Triangle has more merit then we first realised. Jim…we are looking at the answer to one of the world’s biggest mysteries.”

Jim didn’t mirror Malcolm’s excitement. When Malcolm dryly pointed out Jim’s lack of enthusiasm, the ex-cop shook his head and revealed why. “What it means is that we weren’t the first people here, Malcolm. Can you confirm what our friend Yorrick died of?”

“With bones this old it will be hard to determine. We can’t rule out the possibility that they all died in the initial shipwreck.”

“No,” Michael interrupted, surprising both Malcolm and Jim. “I saw dozens of bodies. They were living in that cave. They had to have been storing all that treasure. They lived here before us. And I think they killed each other.”

Jim raised an eyebrow. “What makes you say that?”

“A feeling...and I found that knife amongst the bones.”

“The knife!” Malcolm exclaimed, making Jim jump. “It’s quite eroded now, but maybe we can find out more about it in The Eye.”

Jim was shaking his head. “It’s not a priority, Malcolm.”

“Aren’t you interested in how they died?” Michael quizzed Jim. “Don’t you want to know what happened to the first people who lived here? It changes everything.”

Jim sighed. “It changes everything and it changes nothing. It’s not relevant right now. We have bigger problems.” He turned back to Malcolm. “How is work on the terminus going?”

“Slow,” admitted Malcolm. “Maddy’s been assisting me with getting everything ready, but it’s been a long time since we’ve even thought about fixing the terminus, Jim. Starting from scratch, it’s going to be a challenge.”

“I know. Just…keep trying. We need to get the upper hand on these people somehow.”

“There’s one thing that has been bothering me…how did these people know about this portal in the first place? How did they know where it would lead, what powered it? If all the survivors from the shipwreck died here…how could they know?”

“That’s a question for another time, Malcolm. Keep me posted on where we are with the terminus.”

Malcolm smiled briefly and headed off back to his lab. 

“Who the hell  _ are _ these people you and your brother are working for?” Jim asked Michael. “How do they know more about this place than we do?”

“I just know that they’ve been studying this place for a very long time. Nichol has the brightest scientists on her side. You wouldn’t believe the things that they know. About Terra Nova, about the people in it.”

Jim stepped closer. “The people? They know about all the colonists?”

“Everyone,” answered Michael. “Even you, Shannon. They have files on all of us. They probably even know what eye colour your great, great grandfather had.”

“But why? How?”

“You’d have to ask them. But this place is valuable to them, and they’re not about to let it go without a fight.”

“We’ll give them as many fights as they want. We’re not giving up.”

Michael had to admit it. He admired Jim in that moment. He was so confident he could win. Could it really be a possibility? He’d done it before. But things were different now. It wasn’t just Lucas and an army they were fighting. It was a whole corrupt enterprise, with a hold on both the past and the future. Nichol was controlling it all, and he didn’t think there was any beating it this time. 

Reynolds collected Michael to take him back to the house. They’d barely got down the stairs when Michael asked for a favour.

“Why would I do you a favour?” Mark asked incredulously. “Do you really think you’re in a position to make demands right now?”

Reynolds started to lead Michael off again, but Michael persisted and shook the corporal off of him. “Actually, I do. What I said to Shannon in there, about the files those people had on us? They had one for you too.”

The young corporal narrowed his eyes at Michael. “You’re full of it.” He stepped closer, squaring up to his former ally. “You’re a liar.”

“Am I?” questioned Michael cooly. He felt some remnant of power surge back to him. He remembered how defenceless he was that night, how powerless, and he suddenly had the urge to make Mark suffer. Because he knew the truth. Reynolds symbolised everything Michael was before the corruption, but it was a lie. Just like Michael was. “You’ve been a bad boy, Mark,”

Reynolds’ defiant facade’ gradually crumbled. “Alright, just stop. Stop. What do you want?”

Michael looked across the market to a familiar building he hadn’t visited in a long time. “I fancy a drink.”

The steps to Boylan’s Bar were just as he remembered, a welcoming alcove to an off-duty officer’s ideal getaway. A place for drinking, laughing, gambling – the occasional drunken fight. It made him smile. Back when the security team were his buddies, he’d spent many a drunken night at Boylan’s. But more often than not, he’d come here for the man himself. 

As he hastened down the stairs, Reynolds catching up behind him, he was greeted by an older man’s back and a bark of: “We’re closed! Come back later.”

“You didn’t miss me then?” Michael joked, then watched with a smile as Boylan slowly turned, eyes wide with disbelief, to focus on the young man standing in his bar. 

“Bloody hell,” he murmured, still in shock. “So the rumours are true. Michael, is that you?”

“Afraid so.” Michael smiled. “I’m back.” 

Boylan rushed towards him, grabbing him in an embrace, surprising even Michael himself. “Kid, I can’t believe you’re here. I thought you were dead.”

“You weren’t the only one,” wheezed Michael, almost suffocating in Boylan’s tight hold. “I missed you, Tom.” 

It was then that Michael was aware of another presence behind Boylan. It was Josh Shannon, standing with a clipboard and presumably conducting some sort of stock check before Michael interrupted them. He suddenly felt awkward, sensing Josh’s unfriendly gaze on him, and it was a bit of a relief when Tom finally pulled away.

“Right,” announced Boylan. “Now I’m gonna throttle ya for leaving like that. What the hell were you thinking?”

“I don’t know, I wasn’t... God, Tom. There’s so much to tell you. So much has happened.”

Reynolds cleared his throat and stepped forward, intruding on the reunion. “Michael, I have my orders…” he reminded them.

“Corporal Reynolds, how about a drink?” Boylan offered cheerfully.

“Uh, I can’t. I’m on duty.”

“Sure you can. On the house. Josh - pour the man a drink, on me. And two more for myself and Corporal Taylor here while you’re at it.” 

“Sure thing,” Josh said, grabbing a cup.

“Thanks but no thanks,” Reynolds said, indicating for Michael to follow him.

Michael stared at him. “Mark. Give us fifteen minutes. Please.” Did he really need to remind Reynolds of the threats he made earlier? Apparently not, as after a heavy sigh Reynolds retreated to the bar to collect his free drink, and Michael and Boylan sat at a table for a brief catch up.

“I can’t talk long, Tom. They have me on house arrest and as you can see they’re keeping close tabs on me.”

“This is insane. Last I heard, you’d disappeared in the Badlands. Is it true...about the other fracture? Is that where you went?”

Michael was about to reply when Josh placed their drinks on the table. He offered Michael a nod, which Michael returned, though he was a bit unsure how to take the Shannon kid after all the drama with Lucas and Skye. Josh had found himself a victim of Lucas’ violence after the teenager had foolishly started a fight with him over Skye. It seemed Lucas wasn’t the only one with a  _ thing  _ for Skye and Josh had inherited his father’s stubborn and intrusive ways. He wasn’t sure if it was stupidity, heroism, or hormones that made him risk his life that day. Maybe a mix of all three. Josh left them to it and started to tidy up the bar.

“Another fracture opened. Took us back to 2149,” explained Michael. “Lucas’ people took me in and I worked for them, hence Jim Shannon’s suspicion of me. I had to, Tom. They have Alicia.”

“Washington? She’s alive?”

“Yeah.” Michael looked down at his drink, his heart sinking deeper and deeper the longer he was away from her. From both of them. “While I was away she had my baby. A boy.”

Tom almost fell off his stool. The whites of his eyes grew, his jaw dropping. “You’re a dad? Congratulations, mate. Although I s’pose you’re not really in the mood for celebrating yet.”

“Only you and Shannon know,” confessed Michael. “It’s complicated. I just need to get them back. No one has any idea what I’ve been through, Tom. The things I’ve done to keep the people I love safe. It makes me sick sometimes.” He took a swig of his drink and immediately felt the comforting taste of the alcohol ease him slightly. He had missed drinking here. He missed the drink and the company. 

“I know what kind of man you are, Michael. Don’t ya worry about that. Whatever you did, I’m sure you had no choice. I’m sure you did whatever you had to do.”

Michael tried not to think about it. He still heard the shots ringing out, bodies falling. Still felt the sensation of hot blood seeping into his clothes and skin. They had been innocent people. They hadn’t deserved any of it.

He shuddered, taking another sip of his drink to swallow the bile rising up his throat. 

But it meant a lot to hear Tom say that. 

“I’m helping Shannon get the Commander back. Lucas’ employers have him in the future. It’s going to be a slow process though. Especially while no one trusts me.”

“They will,” Boylan promised, patting the younger man on the shoulder. “If those people have Taylor, you’re the colony’s best bet to get him back. You know I’ll be behind you no matter what.”

It felt like a breath of fresh air to hear someone say that. Touched, Michael smiled. “Thanks, Tom.”

“Heyy!”

His gaze focused behind Boylan when he heard the familiar voice. A petite woman appeared in the distance, grinning widely. It was Skye. He was surprised to see her, particularly when she leaned over the bar to kiss Josh on the lips. 

“Ready to go?”

He nodded, smiling. “Boylan, going on my lunch break.” 

Boylan waved at them. As they began to leave, Skye noticed Michael, her grin shrinking into a timid smile. She gave him a brief wave before leaving the bar with Josh, her apparent boyfriend.

“How long has that been going on for?” Michael asked. He wasn’t sure how he felt about what he’d just witnessed, though he supposed he felt confused more than anything else.

“What, those two? Almost a year, on and off,” answered Boylan, shrugging. “Never really know with those two, whether it’s on or off. Guess it’s on at the moment.”

Michael nodded. He wanted to ask more questions but before he could decide on one, Reynolds appeared next to him. 

“Alright. You’ve had long enough. Time to go.”

Michael bid a brief farewell to Boylan before he was ushered out of the bar by Reynolds. He was not expecting, however, to be aggressively thrown against the outside wall by his escort. 

“Alright, clearly you know something,” snapped Reynolds, pushing his arm into Michael’s chest. “And if you’ve been working with them this long then you know more than you let on. So what do you want?”

Michael recovered from the shock, the back of his head and shoulders throbbing with the sudden impact. Clearly Reynolds did not appreciate Michael torturing him. “Okay, fine! But not here.”

Reynolds reluctantly let go of Michael. Then pushed him towards his quarters. 

When they got to the Taylor household, Reynolds locked the door behind him.

“What do you know?” he asked Michael.

Michael dropped back on his couch, watching Reynolds squirm. “Everything.”

Reynolds closed his eyes, sighing. “Look, I don’t know why they chose me, okay? I was a kid when they found me. Both my parents were dead. I had nothing. So I agreed.”

“You agreed to be their spy,” Michael affirmed. “You, Corporal Reynolds, were the colony’s  _ first  _ traitor. Way before the Sixers came along. Way before me or Skye. You’re a hypocrite,” he said bitterly.

“You have to understand. As soon as I got here I ended it. I cut ties with them.”

“You still provided them with intel. You told them about the Badlands. The cave.”

“They asked me to explore the area. I went back a few times, I told them what I found. But after that, I stopped.”

“You were the one who told them about the fracture, weren’t you?” Michael shook his head. “Jesus, Mark. All this time you knew and you never told anybody.”

“I couldn’t,” he said meekly. “I couldn’t let anyone find out I was spying for them. You know what that’s like.”

“Yeah. I do. And did you already tell them about the monster that lives out there?”

“I didn’t know what it was, exactly. I just saw the destruction it caused. The other dinos it killed. When they asked me to get more data, that’s when I stopped communicating with them.”

Michael narrowed his eyes at him. They knew everything because of him. This was all his fault. He should be the one being judged and scrutinised, just like Michael was. He released a sigh. “Nevermind. Listen, I don’t really care how or why you started working for them. I was told to seek you out because you could help me.”

“Oh, I see,” Reynolds said angrily. “Now you know my big secret, I have to do what you say or you’ll tell everyone.”

Michael almost laughed at the irony. That was exactly how he got into this mess in the first place, being blackmailed and manipulated. But it was the only way to get what he needed.

“I just need a way to communicate with them, alright? I know you still have the communicator they gave you once upon a time. I need it. Then I’ll leave you alone. For now.”

Reynolds grit his teeth together hard, contemplating the task. “Fine. I’ll give it to you. But you’re not fooling anyone. No one believes you’re back on our side.”

“I guess you’re the only one that has managed to convince people,” Michael spat resentfully. 

Reynolds scowled at him. Then he left the house, leaving Michael alone again in silence.

Michael sighed, staring holes into his shoes. He’d had these dirty tricks played on him for so long, he had picked up a few things along the way. He really had become the bad guy everyone thought he was.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” a female voice said behind him. “At least you feel guilty for what you’re doing, even if it is despicable.”

Michael jumped up from the couch and spun around. He knew that voice more than anyone. It was impossible…

But there was no one there.

He shook his head. He was hearing things, he guessed. He turned around again, and then his heart stopped. 

Alicia Washington. Tall, beautiful, alive. She stood right in front of him. He blinked hard but her figure still remained. She looked a lot easier on the eyes than she did in his dream. She looked like she did in his memory, before she was shot. In her uniform, hair tied back, a calm smile on her lips.

“Hello, Michael.”

His mouth was dry. His chest pounded. But he couldn’t help smiling with relief. “Alicia…? How are you here?”

“I’m not actually here, Michael. I’m in your head.”

He frowned. “You seem so real.” He stepped closer to her, staring at the details on her face. She was so clear, so perfect. Every detail was so exact, just as he remembered her. The odd freckle on her nose, the tiny scar on her chin. It was all there. “Am I doing this to myself...torturing myself?”

“You’re doing that already.”

She leaned in and placed a hand on his cheek. He let out an audible gasp. He  _ felt  _ her. The warmth of her hand, the warmth he had been craving for so long. How could his brain be doing  _ this?  _ He placed his hand over hers, closing his eyes, and let the emotion finally make him crumble. 

“I miss you  _ so much.  _ All those months, not being able to touch you, or talk to you. To tell you about our child.”

She smiled sadly. “I missed you too. But you can’t let your emotions for me cloud your judgement. For God’s sake, Michael, you’ve killed for me. Do you know how that makes me feel?”

“I know,” he whispered. “I didn’t want to lose you.”

“Just please don’t forget who you are and what you built here.” 

He narrowed his eyes at her, a look of frustration taking over his features. “ _ What is this _ ? Are you meant to be my conscience or something? Have you come to tell me to give up fighting for you?”

“What do you think?”

“I’ll never give up on you. I don’t care what I have to do. I’ll play both sides if I have to, whoever gets me back to you sooner.”

“So you have no loyalty to anyone?” Alicia said with disappointment.

“Only to you,” he said defensively. “And our child.”

She stared at him for a moment, then she brought her body into his, letting him envelop her. He could feel her slim figure in his arms, the heat of her skin, the moisture of her tears as her soft cheek pressed against his. 

He opened his eyes and she was gone. He was holding on to thin air, the tears on his cheek were his own. 

He was going crazy again. He remembered last year when he had visions of his mother, those terrible headaches that made him see and think things he couldn’t stand to see or think. The stress and grief had finally made him insane. 

Real or not, there was a part of him that had been relieved to see Wash again. He shut his eyes, imagining her touch again, reliving her embrace. As he crawled up on the couch and drifted off to sleep, his last thoughts were of her, as they usually were.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Three Weeks After Hope Plaza Was Destroyed**

Standing in front of the remains of Hope Plaza, Michael stood with his rifle in hand beside his Phoenix Group comrades as they guarded their leader, Miranda Nichol, from the screaming crowds of protesters in front of them. Even though he was equipped with OrbisTech’s finest rebreather technology, he still thought he could sense the stench of acrid smoke and soot from the charred remnants of the facility. The flashes from the cameras were blinding him, leaving coloured spots in his vision as they captured the destruction behind him; a massive hole of debris where Hope Plaza once stood. 

The fire had burned for days. Eventually the structure completely collapsed, leaving a hideous pile of rubble just outside the city. The portal’s anchor had crumbled, unleashing the anomaly to god knew where. 

The death toll had risen to twenty-two. Many more were injured. The thousands of protesters who roamed the streets had felt as though they may as well be condemned to death with Hope Plaza gone.

Understandably, they wanted answers. They wanted hope. And with no one else to blame, they turned to the corporation who had made all of this possible in the first place. 

“EdenCorp is not responsible for the tragedy that happened here a few weeks ago,” Nichol declared to the crowd and the cameras in front of her. She was calm, confident. Dignified. “Regrettably, the Terra Novans have turned on us. They have cut themselves off from us. They no longer wish to share their fortune with the rest of us.”

Some shouts and curses came from the audience. Michael narrowed his vision, watching carefully. Many people had showed up today. They filled the streets. Many of them poor families, most with outdated rebreathers, some without any rebreathers at all. They were sick, weary, angry. 

“The man responsible for this act of treason is Commander Nathaniel Taylor. He was given responsibility of the colony, and he has abused his power.”

The murmurs from the crowd became louder, angrier. 

“I promise you, I will do everything in my power to rectify what has happened, and bring Commander Taylor to justice.”

Louder still. Angrier. People started throwing trash and random objects.

“You did this!”

“How the hell can you fix this now?”

One man near the front unwrapped his scarf from his face and turned towards the crowd. “The rich don’t care if this world burns, or if we burn with it! I say if we’re going down, we bring them down with us! Down with Eden!”

The crowd roared in agreement.

“Down with Eden! Down with Eden!”

Nichol attempted to restore order, but it was too late. Michael gripped his rifle. He knew what he had to do, he just didn’t know if he was prepared to do it.

A bottle came flying at Nichol’s head, missing her by a few inches. 

“Get me out of here!” she snapped. 

A couple of her guards began to escort her, when a loud shot rang through the crowd. She ducked to the floor, her security shielding her. Panicked and screaming, the public dispersed across the site. Michael looked around for the shooter, heart racing. Bodies were running in all directions, but he eventually focused on a single still person in the centre of the crowd. It was a middle-aged man, stony-eyed, wielding an old-fashioned handgun. Michael raised his rifle.

“Stop!” he yelled.

The man lifted his gun again, prepared to shoot a second time.

“What are you doing? Shoot him!” yelled Nichol. “Somebody shoot him!” 

Another shot echoed through the crowd, and the man fell. Michael looked over to see another soldier had pulled the trigger. He shot a cold glare at Michael. Then a member of the crowd tackled the soldier, grabbed his gun and shot him. 

Michael’s blood ran cold. He turned to see Nichol being escorted into a car, leaving the chaos. More shots. Phoenix Group soldiers were firing on the civilians. 

He couldn’t breathe. He took a step back, his finger trembling on the trigger as people rushed past him.

“MURDERERS!” a young man bellowed as he ploughed into Michael, knocking him down. Dazed for a second from the sudden impact of his body hitting the floor, he sensed the man on top of him, prying away his rifle.

“No!” Michael tried to pull the gun away from him, but the civilian was gradually turning the rifle to point at Michael. “Stop!”

The man’s fury and desperation had given him strength, something Michael hadn’t really trained for when learning how to defend against an enemy. This guy didn’t care if he lived or died anymore, he literally had nothing left to lose. That made him more lethal than any dino, or Sixer, or Phoenix Group soldier he had ever come across.

He felt his strength fading, the gun slipping from his reach. He could imagine himself dying here in the dirt, an insignificant henchman, shot to death by a raging man shouting insults at him. It would be quick, easy. Simpler than the alternative. But he had to live. For Alicia.

He focused all his energy on regaining control of that weapon. His muscles tensed painfully. Then he felt the heat and vibration of the weapon as it discharged. For a moment he considered the possibility that he himself had been shot, but as he looked up at the man threatening him, the terrified expression in his eyes, he knew he had done what he had feared. The man flopped lifelessly on top of him, soaking him in blood

Distraught, Michael crawled out from under him, cursing. He saw more of them, waving broken bottles or bits of wood and other improvised weapons. One of them ran towards Michael, screaming, before being shot down. More of them were dropping.

Michael realised he was shooting them. Killing them before they had a chance to fight him. His ‘comrades’ were doing the same, with an automatic disregard to the consequences. 

Any person that charged him, he would pull the trigger, and they would fall. But Michael kept shooting. Because they had their side and he had his. 

He couldn’t breathe. He turned to see one of the Phoenix Group men get shot in the face, dark blood and brain matter exploding through the air as his body fell into the crowd. Another soldier grabbed Michael and pulled him along.

“RUN! RUN! GET BACK TO BASE NOW.”

Michael ran, his stomach churning. Panting heavily, he followed the other Phoenix Group soldiers until they reached one of their trucks and piled in. They drove off fast. Michael closed his eyes. shivering, hearing the panicked cries and screams of the crowd gradually disappear into silence. 

He didn’t realise at the time that he had witnessed the start of a war. All he could focus on was the sound of his gun going off and the sight of those men and women falling, one after the other.

* * *

**Terra Nova, Now**

Another difficult night, but Michael could begin to feel his worn mind and body gradually recovering from all those months of pushing his limits, physically as well as mentally. On the rare occasion his subconscious was kind to him, he could dream that he was a kid again, letting his mother help him with his homework, or playing with Lucas, or even stepping into Terra Nova for the first time as a teenager, or lying in bed with Wash. He could be anywhere he wanted, and travelling through time in the mind was a lot simpler than travelling through time in real life. 

But he would also have those nightmares, where his dreams mirrored reality, and he would wake to the realisation that the nightmares were real life, and the comforting dreams were just reliving what was already lost.

He gradually came round to the sound of a loud thumping on the door. Wiping his tired eyes, Michael pulled himself to his feet and dragged himself over to the door as the banging continued.

“Alright,” he muttered. “Hold on.” His expression remained wooden as he opened the door. “Who needs an alarm clock when I have you, Mark?”

Mark frowned and hastened into the house, shutting the door behind him. Michael understood why he was being so skittish when he pulled an object out from his uniform pocket. Another communicator.

“This is what you wanted. It still works as far as I’m aware. Now you can talk to those people whenever you want. And I’m out, understood?”

Michael nodded, taking the device. “Understood. Thank you, Mark.”

“I didn't do it for you. I did it for Maddy. She doesn’t need to find out about this.”

“Of course.”

Mark stared at Michael for a beat, then shook his head and began to leave.

“Aren’t you ever curious?” Michael asked suddenly. “Why they chose you?”

Mark stopped and sighed, giving Michael the impression that he didn’t want to discuss it. But he turned around, softening, and gave a small shrug. “They said I was special. That I could be part of something important. But it was all lies. As soon as I got here and I met the Commander and I saw how great everything could be, I realised  _ I _ wasn’t special. This  _ place _ was special. And I wasn’t about to let them destroy it.”

Michael was silent, causing Mark to huff scornfully and walk out the door.

As the door slammed, Michael ran his fingers over the smooth surface of the device. His one connection to Alicia was literally in his hands. He couldn’t mess this up. He hid the device under his bed and waited for his next intruders to take him to work.

Michael spent that morning in the Command Centre drawing out detailed maps of Nichol’s base, the one in Bermuda and the one in Chicago. He drew Wash’s prison quarters at EdenCorp HQ, which he remembered vividly, and pointed out where the Commander was likely being held. He marked where the guards patrolled and described their shift patterns to Jim. All in all, he was being incredibly helpful considering he was the enemy. He hoped Jim appreciated this. He liked to think that he was betraying Nichol by doing this, but the sad part was that even if Malcolm got the portal up and running, even if they were 100% prepared for what was on the other side, they still had to survive a warzone with little rebreather technology, gain access to one of the most guarded buildings in the city, find Wash and his dad and fight their way out, back to an untethered portal which could open up two-hundred feet below the earth for all they knew. 

Unfortunately, whatever plan Jim could cook up had a slim success rate. But he could admire the man’s determination if nothing else. And every piece of information Michael could offer helped him get one step closer to earning the colony’s trust. 

“We appreciate your cooperation, Michael,” said Jim, examining the diagrams Michael had put together. “I understand you just want to get Wash back in one piece. And of course, your son.”

_ His son _ . Michael kept forgetting. The idea of him being a father still felt so foreign to him. He smiled. “I’m still getting used to that, I guess.”

“Trust me,” Jim said, even going as far as patting Michael on the shoulder. “You never get used to it.”

It was an odd connection. Were he and Jim  _ bonding _ ? It was an alien feeling, to have some warmth between the two men. Perhaps Jim was finally starting to trust Michael. 

Michael even enjoyed Jim’s story about how terrified he was when Josh was born, how he had no clue how to act, how to be a father. But somehow, with Elisabeth’s help, he managed it. 

“Didn’t stop him hating me all throughout his teens though.” He chuckled. “Even when we came here, it was tough for a bit,” Jim added. “That’s just the way kids are sometimes.”

“He seems okay now,” Michael said. “Stable job at Boylan’s...sweet girlfriend.”

Jim nodded. “Yeah. Skye is...Skye is good for him. She’s a great young woman. They’ve had their bad days though...I just hope they’re not together for the wrong reasons.”

Before Michael could probe any more into Jim’s statement, the two were interrupted by some shouting and loud noises outside. 

Jim leapt to his feet to investigate the disturbance, peering over the balcony of the Command Centre. “Not again,” he muttered. Michael followed and witnessed a commotion in the market below. People were fighting and brawling, shouting and swearing. Casey Durwin was on the floor, the wheels of his chair spinning as they pointed upwards to the sky. 

“Oh my God.” 

Jim took off down the steps immediately to break up the riot. Michael instinctively followed. Some security officers had also attempted to break up the scene, with little success.

“HEY!” Jim yelled. “Back off! Calm down!” He tried to disperse the crowd that had surrounded poor Casey. They were yelling at each other, scrapping and grabbing what they could from his stall. 

Michael helped the man back into his chair. He was obviously shocked by the fall, looking around with disorientation. And then his face flushed red with fury.

“These thieves are trying to steal from me!” he yelled. “Give back what you stole, all of it, do you hear me?”

“I gave you five terras,” one man argued. “That’s a fair price, not the ridiculous prices you’ve had recently.”

“I gave him seven terras! The batteries are mine, give them to me!” another man screamed, trying to launch at the first man. Jim interverned, forcing the men apart.

“I wouldn’t have to hike my prices up if everything wasn’t so in demand,” snapped Casey. “This gear don’t grow on trees, you know!”

“Alright, alright. I know things are difficult right now,” Jim announced so everyone could hear. “But we can’t let it get the better of us. Batteries are in short supply and Durwin has the right to charge what he has to to make his living.”

“What about  _ our _ living?” a woman in the crowd yelled. “My earnings can’t afford anything anymore.”

“Why do some people like Malcolm Wallace get to walk around with plexes and power cores while the rest of us go without?” someone else demanded.

Over the commotion, Michael could just about make out a woman’s shouts in the distance. He looked back over at the rest of the market, many stall owners packing up quickly whilst they still could. But one woman was waving her arms and pointing. 

“Help! Stop them!”

Michael’s gaze followed the woman pointing to a cloaked figure, making a quick dash through the housing units. He didn’t even think. He launched after the figure, weaving through the houses, following as they skillfully dodged and jumped over obstacles, turning corners in an attempt to lose him. Michael pursued closely, until the cloak was in grabbing distance. Panting, he reached out his hand, felt the material graze his fingers, and then he tugged as hard as he could. The figure was yanked backwards, causing Michael to trip over them, and they both tumbled to the floor, spluttering in the dirt.

Michael coughed, wiping dust and dirt from his eyes and mouth. He saw the thief had dropped a bunch of stolen fruit. Then he looked over at them. A girl. He blinked hard. 

“Tasha?”

He got to his feet. Guzman’s daughter. He still remembered her face the day he told her that her father had died. The way she crumpled to the floor still haunted him. He had given her the worst news of her life. Now she was orphaned, she had been making a living with her friends. Or so he thought.

“I...Are you okay?”

Tasha wiped the dirt off her cheek, glaring at him, before picking up her stolen items and running off again. 

Michael caught his breath, confused. Were things so bad that kids like Tasha were having to steal food just to survive? This wasn’t right. He instantly felt ashamed, remembering Guzman’s last words before he died.  _ Keep Tasha safe _ . Clearly, she didn’t feel safe. First he failed to keep Guz alive and then he failed to fulfil his last wishes.

He made his way back to the market where Jim was still trying to keep order. Michael looked around at the exasperated crowd, seeing how desperate people were. He saw an opportunity.

“Terra Nova needs help,” declared Michael loudly as he approached the crowd. Everyone began to stop and gradually quieten. “The colony is struggling. Today is proof of that. We’re 22nd Century people living in the Cretaceous period. We had no right being here. There’s tons of diseases and creatures out there that could kill us in a second if not for those gates and our technology to protect us. We were never meant to survive on our own...which is why we need to open up communication with the future again, with the people who started this journey in the first place.”

The crowd began to buzz again, fear and panic rising in people’s voices.

“Are you insane? They’ll attack us again!”

“We can’t trust the people in the future.”

“The portal’s bust anyhow.”

“We have no choice!”

“We’re dead either way…”

“We want to hear from the Commander!”

“Yeah, where’s the Commander?”

“Everyone calm down!” bellowed Jim at the top of his voice. “Commander Taylor will be back soon.”

“He’s in the future, isn’t he?” a voice guessed. 

“I thought the terminus was destroyed.”

“We’re sick of the lies, Shannon. Tell us what’s going on!”

“I can tell you the truth,” shouted Michael, earning the attention of every single person in the crowd. He took a deep breath, taking in the many faces that were now staring at him attentively. “The Commander is in 2150,” Michael answered. “With the people I’ve been working for.”

“ _ Michael _ ,” Jim warned.

“I didn’t realise it was a secret?” Michael said, feigning ignorance.

Jim scowled at him. Then, sighing deeply, he addressed the crowd:

“Taylor is negotiating with the head of EdenCorp to come to an arrangement,” he explained. “We don’t know how long he’ll be gone for. But as I said we’re working on getting him back.”

“I knew there was a fracture in the Badlands,” a woman said smugly. “Everyone who goes there disappears.”

“That means they can come through and attack us again!” someone else cried fearfully.

“They won’t,” Michael promised. “EdenCorp want peace. That’s what my father has gone there to negotiate. This is the only way to guarantee a safe and healthy future for your families. Trust me.”

There was only a quiet mumbling now, with people clearly unsure what to think, including Casey Durwin who had been listening intently, forehead wrinkled with deep thought. He shook his head, still angry, and began packing up his stall.

“The market is closed,” Jim announced. “Everyone go home and don’t worry. Everything is under control.”

Hesitantly, the crowd dispersed. A mix of angry, confused, and upset voices echoed through the market. No one knew what to think.

As everyone left, Jim stormed over to Michael, seething. “What the hell was that?”

“I just gave them what they wanted. Some hope.”

“Hope? For all we know, EdenCorp could have killed Taylor by now. You’ve just made things worse by panicking people.”

“They were already panicked, Shannon. Take a look at this place. You’ve barely got a hold on this colony. What would my father think?”

Jim looked like he could shoot daggers from his eyes. “Regardless, the truth is out now, and I have to decide what to do with you. I have to arrange a meeting with the council to discuss our next move.”

He grabbed hold of Michael, dragging him towards the Command Centre.

So much for their new-found bond, Michael thought. It looked like they wouldn’t be buddies after all. 


	10. Chapter 10

An hour later, the council had gathered in the Command Centre. Worried chatter filled the room as Jim sat Michael down at the head of the table where everyone had assembled. They all stopped talking and stared holes into him. 

“Nice to see you all again.” Michael forced a sarcastic smile, sensing everyone’s discomfort. He looked around the table awkwardly, taking in the members of this apparently new council. He saw lots of familiar faces: Elisabeth Shannon, Malcolm Wallace, Reilly, Casey Durwin, and a few other colonists he recognised to be shopkeepers, teachers, parents, business owners, or just concerned citizens. None of them said a word. They all looked to Jim curiously.

“Thank you all for coming,” Jim said. “It’s about time I admitted to you all what’s going on so we can discuss what our next move should be.”

“Well thanks for finally involving us in your decisions, Shannon,” muttered Casey from the other end of the table. “Thought the whole point in Taylor setting up this council was so us average citizens could get a say in what was going on around here.”

“I know. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to call you all here. I didn’t want to panic anyone, but now Corporal Taylor here has decided to open his big mouth in public, I thought it was time to address you all honestly.”

“It’s  _ Captain  _ Taylor now,” Michael quipped. Jim ignored him.

“I’m sure you’re all aware by now that Commander Taylor has…”

“Gone back to the future?” an Australian voice interrupted as a figure appeared at the doors. Tom Boylan. Michael felt a little more at ease to see him here.

Dunham came rushing in after him. “I’m sorry, sir. He insisted on coming in.”

Jim sighed. “That’s alright, Dunham. Go back to your post. We don’t want any more interruptions.”

Dunham shut the doors, leaving Boylan in the centre of the room.

“What are you doing here, Boylan?” demanded Jim. “You didn’t want to be on the council.”

“Well, I do now. A man can change his mind, can’t he? Besides, I have a feeling like this is a topic I’ll have a few opinions about.” He took a seat by Michael, giving him a quick wink. Michael smiled appreciatively back at him.

Jim shook his head and took a deep breath. “Okay. Yes, the Commander is currently in 2150. The rumours about another portal in the Badlands have been confirmed, and this is the portal that Taylor used to get back to the future.”

“And before anyone says anything,” added Malcolm, “I’ve already told Jim had I been informed of this plan, I would have reminded them how  _ insane  _ it was given the fact that whatever portal is in the Badlands is highly unstable, not to mention the levels of radioactive contamination in the area. Among other obvious dangers of course...”

Michael noted a few whispers go around the table.

“Malcolm has a point, Jim,” Elisabeth said quietly. “Perhaps the council should have been informed before you and Taylor decided to go out there.

“There wasn’t time to argue,” Jim stated. “And it was Taylor’s call. He was determined to go. I tried to change his mind.”

“Why would the Commander do that?” Reilly asked. “Just go back to the future with no backup?”

“The aim of the mission was to commence peace talks with EdenCorp, the people who hired The Phoenix Group,” Jim explained.

As the noise level in the room started to rise with confused and panicked questions, Jim tried to keep order. 

“I understand your concern. There was a good reason Taylor decided to do this.”

“What possible reason is there for trying to negotiate with these monsters?” a woman asked with exasperation. Michael recognised her as Sonya, one of the teachers at the school whom he’d only met a couple of times. Before Jim managed to come up with an answer, Michael answered for him.

“Because Wash is alive,” he said. Sonya stared at him. They all did. They didn’t understand. Only Boylan, who gave Michael a small, supportive nod when he looked over at him. “Lucas didn’t kill her. It was just a show. He took her back to the future, to be held prisoner at EdenCorp. That’s where I’ve been all this time. Working for them. To keep her safe.”

There was a brief silence as everyone processed this information. 

“So they sent you to bring the Commander to them?” someone asked.

“Yes, but they left me here. Something must have gone wrong. So we need to get the fracture open again, to get Wash and my dad back.”

“A process which is easier said than done,” Malcolm said. “My team and I are working round the clock to get it back up and running, but we keep hitting dead ends. For now it’s just a case of trial and error. Unfortunately we’ve had to start from scratch and it’s proving quite a challenge.”

“Hold on a minute,” Reilly interjected, her arms open. “If the Commander really did go to discuss peace talks, why cut us off? Why not communicate with the rest of us? For all we know he’s been killed, or made their prisoner.”

“That’s my fear, Sergeant,” Jim agreed. “But Michael seems adamant this isn’t the case.”

“I know my mission,” Michael said. “And that was to let Terra Nova know that EdenCorp are willing to make a deal. Whatever has happened since my father got there, I’m not sure.”

“What kind of deal?” Elisabeth queried.

Michael explained what EdenCorp were offering, in exchange for access to the colony. 

The council did not receive this well. Outrage, fear, and confusion were just some of the emotions Michael noted on their expressions.

“I think the lad has a point,” Boylan spoke up. “As a business owner, I’ve struggled this past year. I’m sure Mr. Durwin would agree with me.”

Durwin grumbled to himself. 

“We’re modern people trying to live a modern life in a prehistoric world,” Boylan continued. “Either we make some drastic changes around here or we return to being the savages we’re descended from. The Commander had good intentions meeting with them, especially if the Lieutenant is there.”

Reilly snorted. “There’s no deal that the Commander would ever agree to.” She glared at Michael. “These people kidnapped your girlfriend and held her prisoner for a year. You can’t possibly think they have ‘good intentions’. So what have they done with the Commander?”

Michael swallowed hard. “I don’t know. That’s the truth. Peace talks don’t happen overnight. Perhaps they’re still negotiating?”

Reilly scoffed. 

“Let’s just calm down,” Elisabeth reasoned. “Is there a way to contact this Miranda Nichol woman? If Michael’s telling the truth then they shouldn’t mind updating us on the progress of the negotiations.”

“They sent Michael through with a communications device,” Jim replied. “We can have him check in with her tonight and I’ll update you all in the morning. Does anyone have any objections?”

Everyone looked around the room as there appeared to be a general agreement that this was a good idea.

“Just be careful, Jim,” Malcolm warned. “If she  _ is _ hostile, we could be looking at another invasion. And we are not prepared to handle that.”

“Understood,” said Jim. “I recommend we keep Michael under house arrest until we can confirm the Commander’s status. In the meantime, you’ll be glad to know he has been fully cooperative.”

“Course he has,” said Boylan, patting Michael on the shoulder. “This is his home. He belongs here. He just wants his family back. Isn’t that right, lad?”

Michael nodded, offering Boylan a brief half-smile. “That’s right.” 

Jim dismissed the council, reminding everyone that everything that had been discussed had been strictly confidential. They all passed Michael, giving him mixed looks. Some of anger (Durwin), some of sympathy (Elisabeth), some of suspicion (Reilly). Others tried to avoid his gaze entirely (Malcolm). And then there was Boylan, who slapped Michael affectionately on the shoulder again, as a father would a son. 

“See ya later.”

Michael nodded at him, smiling. It was nice to have someone on his side.

After everyone had left, Jim set the device down in front of Michael. Then he sat down next to him. “We’ll try this again, shall we?”

“I can’t guarantee she’ll answer,” Michael warned him, staring at the device.

“Well, if she doesn’t, I’ll throw you straight back into the Brig until we find out what’s going on. Sound fair?”

“Not really...”

“Good. Now make the call.” 

Michael, sighing, pressed some buttons and left the device on the table. After a few seconds the device started beeping and a blue, holographic light emerged. Two figures appeared, sitting on the opposite side of the desk. One was a woman, Miranda Nichol, the other, a man. 

“Taylor,” Jim breathed, disbelief in his voice at seeing the Commander in one piece. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Jim,” he replied calmly, his deadpan expression staring solemnly back at them.

“Mr. Shannon,” Nichol’s shape greeted. “I’m glad to finally have the pleasure.”

“Miranda Nichol, I presume?” 

“That’s right. I apologise we couldn’t meet in person. I hope Michael has been a good representative for me.”

“Oh, he’s been singing your praises,” Jim said sarcastically. “He’s particularly fond of the way you’ve imprisoned his girlfriend and child.”

“Shannon…” Michael warned him. He didn’t want to risk pissing her off. He had been here to paint Nichol in a good light, afterall. 

Jim side-eyed him. 

“The way I see it, we have provided Michael’s family with the best care money can buy,” Nichol replied. “And he repaid us for that with his service.”

“In other words, you blackmailed him in to doing your bidding. We’re not as stupid as you think we are, Ms Nichol.”

Nichol raised an eyebrow. “Fair enough. The Commander and I have just been discussing terms.”

“What terms?” 

“Nichol is essentially a stakeholder in Terra Nova,” Taylor explained. “She wants a say in how we run things over there.”

“Or what?” Jim scoffed. “You’ll kill Wash? Is that it?”

“EdenCorp put a lot of time and money into setting up Terra Nova,” Nichol added. “I just want control over what’s mine. And I can make life a lot easier for you, as I’m sure Michael has already explained.”

“The terms involve placing a number of EdenCorp employed scientists and soldiers into the colony,” Taylor continued. “We would also need to agree to send data and minerals from the colony to the future on a regular basis.”

“Absolutely not,” Jim seethed. “Taylor, you can’t be considering this?” 

Taylor fell silent, every semblance of his usual determined, resilient persona had crumbled. Michael watched closely, taking in his father’s solemn, hopeless expression. What was it about this woman who just seemed to defeat every member of his family so easily? He couldn’t believe she managed to break the Commander so quickly.

“He knows it’s for the best,” Nichol said, red lips pulling into a wicked smile. “Our previous attack on the colony was misguided, led by my ignoramus associate, Benjamin Weaver. That didn’t turn out well for anyone, so we’re now hoping for a more civilised approach.”

“Civilised? Lady, this is anything but civilised,” snapped Jim. “Now I’m demanding you return my people, and if you’re still up for negotiating, it’ll be discussed here in Terra Nova, under our terms.”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.” 

“She’s really starting to piss me off,” Jim muttered to Michael. Michael didn’t reply. 

“Michael,” Nichol said, as if suddenly remembering his presence. “To show my gratitude for your loyal service, I have someone you should meet.”

Michael watched as another shape formed in the hologram, a small body, placed in Nichol’s bony arms. It was an infant.

“This is your son,” Nichol said, holding the baby up to view.

Michael slowly stood, taking in the sight of his child. He was so small. Maybe five or six months. He saw so much of Alicia in him, it took his breath away. He was sound asleep, so calm. So fragile. This was their child, at last, he was here. He realised he hadn’t spoken for a good few minutes. He cleared his throat, fighting the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes.

“What’s his name?”

“We haven’t named him,” Nichol admitted. “For now he’s just Baby Taylor.”

Michael’s brows knitted together, confused. “Why hasn’t Alicia named him? Is she still not awake? Is she alright?”

“It’s complicated,” Nichol said, then she muttered something to the side. 

“Michael,” Taylor said, an intensity in his holographic eyes as he stared right at his son. “You need to know. Wash is -”

The hologram cut off. 

“Wait, no!” Michael bellowed. Wash is what? He grabbed the device and started typing again. “No, no, no.”

There was no response. He looked helplessly where their bodies had been sat, where his baby had been, seconds ago. Now there was nothing. No trace of them.

Michael, aggrieved, sat back in his chair, holding his head in his hands. Jim placed a hand on his shoulder. To Michael’s horror, tears started spilling down his face. 

“I just want them back,” he said, furiously swiping at the moisture on his face. He hated that he was crying; he hated that she had this much power over him. “I just want them to be safe.”

“I know,” Jim said quietly.

* * *

**Chicago 2150**

“You know he’s going to find out eventually,” Taylor mumbled, glaring at Nichol as she gently rocked his grandson. 

“I suppose it won’t make much of a difference now,” Nichol said, handing the child to one of her lackeys. “We have the child. That’s all the leverage we need. It’s worked pretty well in the past.”

“Kidnapping children so you can get people to do your bidding? To fight your battles? You disgust me.”

“Desperate times call for desperate measures, Commander. You understand that. When you sacrificed your wife in Somalia, you knew it was for a greater good.”

“Don’t you dare talk about Ayani,” Taylor said through gritted teeth. “That was different. Ayani sacrificed herself to save our boy.”

“And I thank her for that sacrifice. Without it, we wouldn’t be here today,” smiled Nichol. 

“You may have my sons wrapped around your little finger but Jim will never go for this. He sees right through you.”

“Michael’s mission is not to convince Jim,” snapped Nichol. “It’s to kill him. And then while your people are running around scared, he will galvanise them against you. He will convince them to let us in, peacefully, so no more innocent lives will be lost.”

Taylor stood, angrily. “You expect me to believe you’re interested in peace? You’re scared. We beat you once and you know we’ll beat you again. Even with our limited resources.”

Nichol narrowed her gaze at him. “I’m not the one who should be scared. Take him back to his room.”

Some guards grabbed him roughly and dragged him back towards his quarters. Lucas, standing from the shadows in his lab coat, caught his father’s gaze and watched, stony-eyed, as they took him away.

He slowly approached Nichol who seemed to notice him lurking, but ignored him. 

“What are you going to do with him?” Lucas asked in a low voice, but his impatience was leaking through.

“Don’t worry,” Nichol said. “You won’t be disappointed. In the meantime you can have your fun with him.”

“You said you wouldn’t kill him. That his fate would be left up to me.”

“We’re not killing him,” Nichol promised, turning to face his tired features. “Stop wasting time and get back to work.”

* * *

The Commander looked tiredly around his prison cell as the door slammed shut. This Hope Plaza conspiracy ran deeper than he first thought. He had been a fool for not stopping it sooner. He felt like he had been fighting to protect Terra Nova for so long - from Mira and the Sixers, then from Lucas and the Phoenix Group. This woman had been behind all of it all along, and he feared he wouldn’t be able to fight her any longer. He had lost all his leverage. Terra Nova didn’t have the strength to fight anymore. And if they did fight, it meant losing more people, more supplies they couldn’t afford to lose. He didn’t have a plan. He knew he would most likely die here. Whether it was today or tomorrow, he didn’t know. He trusted Jim to make the right decision, and if Taylor had to die for the colony, he would. But so far, the only peaceful decision seemed to be to roll over and give in to EdenCorp. 

He could hear Jim’s voice questioning him.  _ How can you trust them? What if they’re not peaceful at all?  _ Jim’s years on the force meant he was distrustful of people, but he had developed a reliable sense for these things. Taylor trusted Jim’s gut. It was usually right. 

And then there was Michael. What was he going to do? Taylor didn’t want to believe he could kill Jim, but he had been wrong about him in the past. He didn’t know what he was capable of anymore. 

Taylor sighed and slumped onto his lumpy mattress. He almost got the shock of his life when he saw a small pair of eyes staring at him through the window in his door. They belonged to a young girl, aged perhaps eight or nine. She had dark skin and long, pretty braids. She looked incredibly familiar.

“Hello, there,” Taylor greeted warmly. He could sense the girl seemed afraid. “Do you live here?”

The girl nodded timidly. 

“Where’s your mother?”

“She’s not here,” the girl said. “Ms Nichol takes care of me.”

The Commander’s stomach turned. This girl was another prisoner. Was this his grandson’s future too? As he stared at the girl, he began to realise why she looked so familiar. 

“What’s your name?” he asked. 

“Sienna.”

“Sienna,” he repeated. Mira’s daughter. She had been here all along, kept by Nichol’s people so that she would do their bidding. He remembered how desperately Mira had tried to get back to her little girl, the things she had done to the colony and its people. He finally understood why. “I bet your mom’s been gone a long time, hasn’t she? Do you remember much about her?”

“I remember pieces. I remember being on the streets. I remember being scared and how she made me feel safe...I remember her bringing me here. I miss her.” 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Taylor said. “A child shouldn’t have to lose their mother so young.” He instantly thought of Ayani and the pain his sons endured after her loss, how they were still paying for it now. It still wasn’t fair.

“Did you know her?” Sienna asked hopefully. 

Taylor looked over at her, unsure how to reply.

“I heard the guards talking about how you’re from that special place. That’s where my mom went...Did you see her there? Is she okay?”

Taylor tried to think how to answer. Truthfully he didn’t know how Mira was, or  _ where _ she was. He hadn’t cared until this moment. “I’m sorry...I…” 

He paused. Mira had had an awful life, and she had done some terrible things, but she had done it all to save this little girl. She at least deserved to know how much she was cared for.

“I  _ do _ know your mother,” Taylor answered, finally. He smiled. “She’s one of the bravest women I know. She’s a stubborn one, sometimes a pain in the you-know-what.” This made Sienna giggle. “But she loves you very much, and she’s trying her damned hardest to get back here to you. So if you remember anything about your mother, remember that.”

Sienna smiled gratefully. “I hope she comes back soon.”

The hope in her eyes made Taylor’s heart swell. He found himself genuinely wishing the same thing. For Sienna’s sake.

“Sienna!” an angry voice sounded from behind her. “What have we told you about wandering around by yourself?” A concerned female guard appeared and grabbed her by the hand, shooting the Commander a worried glance.

“Sorry, I was bored,” Sienna complained. “There’s no one else to play with. This man seemed nice.”

“Well, he’s not. He’s a prisoner. You’re not to talk to him - understand? Go back to your room.” She pulled Sienna away. The girl smiled a goodbye at Taylor before reluctantly heading back to her room. 

Taylor watched the guard, dressed in Phoenix Group uniform. She seemed different to the soldiers he had seen take over the colony, and not just because she was a woman. She seemed genuinely concerned about the young girl in her care. “You’re Phoenix Group?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

After Sienna had walked away, the young woman turned around and glared at him. “Volunteer. Signed up shortly after Hope Plaza burned to the ground. Thanks for that, by the way,” she added vehemently. 

Taylor nodded forlornly. “I understand. You’re angry. But you think working for EdenCorp is going to help you?”

The guard’s jaw stiffened. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“I know you can’t possibly think locking up kids is going to fix anything. You must have  _ some _ decency, some moral compass…”

“You don’t understand anything!” she snapped. “I was promised a different life, a  _ good _ life. I believed that one day, I would see the sun again. Breathe clean air. Start a family. That’s all I wanted.” She wrinkled her nose, her emotion turning to spite. “Then I realised the system was rigged. My family were poor, working class people. We were no one special. Even with the so-called lottery there was no chance of us ever getting picked for Terra Nova.” She shook her head. “My dad was determined, though. He even got a job working for the government, hoping it would increase our chances of getting picked for the next pilgrimage.” She looked Taylor sternly in the eye. “He was working at Hope Plaza the day you blew it up. You killed my dad, Commander. You killed my future. And you deserve everything you get.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Terra Nova**

“ _ Answer me, Lucas _ .  _ Answer me, _ ” Michael mumbled to himself as he furiously typed out messages to his brother on the communication device Mark had brought him. He was knelt beside his bed, close to where he had stashed the tech, retrieving it as soon as he had returned back to house arrest. He knew it was a risk that Nichol would see his communications, but he no longer cared. Not after her last call. He had to know what had happened to Wash. 

He had just sent his tenth message when the device started blinking. Michael pressed a button and Lucas’ figure appeared in his bedroom. 

“You must have a death-wish, brother,” he greeted.

“Where is Alicia?” Michael questioned frantically, getting to his feet. “Dad was just about to tell me something about her when the call cut out.”

“It’s complicated,” Lucas replied.

“Cut the bullshit and tell me!” Michael snapped. “If you ever cared about me, if there’s one slither of decency left in you, you’d tell me where she is.”

Lucas sighed deeply. Michael watched as Lucas looked around him, then leaned in closer. “She’s gone.”

“Gone? What the hell do you mean, gone?”

“She escaped. Broke out.”

Michael didn’t understand. “How?” 

“I don’t know...but she did it. Three months ago. One day she was asleep, then the next...no trace of her. Haven’t heard from her since.”

“She left our child? Why?”

“She probably didn’t know he existed,” Lucas admitted. “They never woke her up. The baby was delivered by caesarean .”

Michael felt his fists ball up with rage. “The animals. They wouldn’t even let her be conscious for the birth?”

“There were fears she wouldn’t respond well...she was still very weak. Frankly, it’s baffling she even managed to walk let alone break out of a high-security building.”

Michael’s mind was racing. “So you don’t know where she is now? If she’s even alive?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t. Anyway, it doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to ME!” Michael yelled, then quickly looked around, hoping no one had heard. 

“I  _ mean  _ Nichol has your son. You’re still in the same position you always were. It doesn’t change anything.”

Lucas was right. Nichol still had a hold over him. She had his son  _ and _ his father. He couldn’t break free of her.

“Nichol wasn’t so pleased to see Shannon with you earlier,” Lucas commented, hinting towards Michael’s incomplete mission. 

“You think people will trust me after their Second in Command suspiciously turns up dead? I’ve already handed their leader over to the enemy. It’s not that easy to make people trust you.”

“Very true. But still, I think Nichol wants you to re-establish control over the colony before she deals with our father. In case there are any more surprise calls, I expect.”

“There’s a council that makes all the decisions now. They needed proof of life. They’re not going to just take my word for it…” Michael paused. “You think that’s her plan? To kill him once I’ve taken over the colony?”

“She says his fate is mind to decide, but I’m not sure I believe her. She’s keeping him here for a reason, though.”

“He seemed.. _.well _ ...when I talked to him earlier.”

“He’s taking it like a champ,” Lucas said sarcastically. “Not used to being the prisoner, I imagine. He usually leaves that kind of treatment for his offspring.” 

Michael was instantly reminded of being questioned in the Brig, treated like a criminal. Anger flashed in his mind, but he suppressed it. He had spent a long time being angry. He would be lying if he said there wasn’t some small part of him that still wanted revenge on his father, even after the words Taylor had said to him shortly before he went through the fracture. But he didn’t want him dead. Not like Lucas did. Now it seemed like no matter what he did, it would result in his father’s death. He had lost control over his father’s fate, even Alicia’s. But not his child’s.

“Lucas. My son. Can you make sure he’s safe?”

“That might be difficult,” Lucas replied. Then noting Michael’s worried frown, he sighed. “But I will.”

Lucas signed off, reminding Michael that they could be punished for communicating without Nichol’s approval. Michael hid the device under the bed again and lifted himself dizzily to his feet. He felt a bit sick. Not knowing where Alicia was, if she was even alive, it was going to drive him crazy.

He closed his eyes. He sensed her touch, feeling her torso press into his back, her arms caressing his chest from behind, her head resting on his shoulder.

“ _ Where are you _ ?” he whispered to her ghostly form. 

Her warm cheek brushed softly against his. “Wherever I am, you can’t help me. You have to look after the people you  _ can _ help.”

“Like the colony?” he asked softly. “I  _ am _ trying to help them.”

“You know you’re not. Not really.”

He paused, beginning to feel irritated. “Stop trying to make me care about them. I stopped caring when they turned their backs on me.”

“You’re a fool if you think that’s true. You care. You care about Skye, Boylan. You care about all of them. Even Jim.”

He faced away from her for a moment. For so long he had tried not to care so much. But she was right. “Alicia,” He breathed shakily, turning to look at her. He took her hands in his. “I need you. I need to know you’re safe.”

His illusion of Wash smirked and she raised an eyebrow. “Michael, I was fighting wars while you were still a boy. I can handle myself.”

He smiled forlornly. “Or maybe that’s just what I’m hoping. That you’re out there somewhere and I’ll see you again.”

“I’m sure you will.” 

Her smile was beautiful, but short-lived, as it was replaced with a concerned frown. Her thin brows pinched together as she stared at something on Michael’s face. “You have something…”

Michael looked down to see his nose gushing blood. “Oh!” When he looked back up, he was alone. His fantasy Wash had disappeared. He ran to the bathroom to grab some tissues, frantically mopping up the red around his nose as it dripped into the sink. He began to feel light-headed. Groaning, he crawled into the tub, worried that he wouldn’t make it to the couch. After a few minutes of dizzily stuffing tissues in his face, he passed out.

* * *

**Chicago, A few months ago**

Lucas stood, gazing at the baby through the glass window. He wasn’t usually allowed access to the nursery, but he would occasionally stand outside, watching while the nurses fed, clothed, or comforted the infant. 

A mixture of emotions clouded his head as usual. The child was his nephew - his brother’s son. But it was also the offspring of a woman whom he despised. He was a prisoner, born a hostage. He was here to serve a purpose and nothing else.

But Lucas started to wonder what would happen to the boy. If Michael ever succeeded, would Nichol return him as promised? If he didn’t succeed, what then? He never bothered asking, as he told himself he didn’t really care. The knowledge that his brother impregnated Washington always sickened him. He had been indifferent to the kid; he was merely a product of a repulsive affair. But then he would come here and watch and things would start to feel different. He couldn’t explain what it was exactly, but it wasn’t the hate and bitterness he was used to.

He watched as the stranger attending to his nephew finished bottle feeding him and put him down in his crib. The tiny child lay on his back, wide-eyed at the ceiling, waving his little arms in the air, when suddenly he screwed up his miniature features and let out a monstrous wail. 

Instinctively, Lucas stepped forward, seeing the baby’s distress. It was crying, face turning red, tears streaming down his cheeks. The nurse, however, wasn’t paying any attention as he busied himself with tidying up. Lucas knocked on the window.

“He’s making noise,” Lucas stated, nodding towards the baby. “Aren’t you going to do something?”

The nurse shrugged. “He cries sometimes. Nothing we do helps. We’ve tried feeding him, burping him, changing him, playing with him. He still cries.”

“So you ignore it?” Lucas’ attention turned back to the unbearable shrieks of the infant in front of him. “How can you ignore that? He’s so damn loud. Isn’t it your job to take care of him?”

The nurse seemed agitated. “It’s my job to keep him alive, keep him healthy. Not to be his parent. If you want to try, be my guest.” 

He opened the door for Lucas, who recoiled. “What do you expect me to do?” he snapped. 

“Look, I’m not really supposed to let you in here, but you’re the baby’s uncle, right? Maybe being with family will stop him crying so much.” 

Lucas slowly stepped towards the door, into the nursery, as the nurse went to pick up the baby. It felt wrong being in here. “I’m his uncle by blood,” he stated quietly. “I have no affection towards him. He’s only here as leverage.” 

“Hold your arms out,” the nurse said, ignoring him.

Lucas stared at the pink, screaming infant with disgust. Why did he even come in here? He should be working. He wasn’t here to babysit. But something made him stay. Strangely, he had the urge to pacify the awful crying. He felt like he couldn’t leave until the terrible noise had been resolved. Lucas sighed, paused for a moment, then held his arms out wide.  _ Too _ wide. The nurse gently moved his arms into the correct position, bending his elbows so he could hold the baby in a cradling position. Then he delicately placed the screaming baby into Lucas’ rigid arms. 

It was much heavier than Lucas expected, which stunned him a little. The sudden blare of the crying in his face also put him off. Sensing this, the nurse tried to put him at ease as he carefully rearranged Lucas’ stance to make him more comfortable. 

“Good. Just relax. Rest the baby’s head on your arm here, with his buttocks on your other arm. Is that alright?”

Surprisingly, it was. “Yeah,” Lucas said, staring at the kid. Almost immediately, the baby’s crying died down to a peaceful gurgling. His face returned a normal colour, his eyes - which Lucas could see were a familiar green - gently closed as if drifting off to a peaceful sleep. Lucas smiled slightly out of relieved confusion. He had never held a baby before. It wasn’t an entirely unpleasant feeling. He was stunned by how much the child looked like him and Michael, and the more Lucas stared, the more he thought he could see traces of Ayani in him too. The thought made him want to laugh and cry at the same time. 

“There you go,” the nurse said smugly. “Sometimes all a baby needs is its family.”

It was then Lucas remembered where he was, what he was doing. He shouldn’t be here. He wasn’t this kid’s father. He wasn’t family - not really. 

He clumsily handed the baby back to the nurse. “I have work to do,” he murmured under his breath. 

Speedily, he made his exit out the nursery and back down the hall, glancing back briefly as he left that strange moment behind him. He didn’t know what that was - what he  _ felt _ \- but he couldn’t let it happen again. 

That’s what he told himself, but Lucas was drawn back to the nursery over the next few months. He wasn’t supposed to, but he often used his keycard to come in and visit his nephew. Usually he would sit and keep the baby company. He would make sure he didn’t cry, and he would attempt to hold the baby when it did. Sometimes rocking him back and forth would help. Other times it wouldn’t. There wasn’t much in the way of toys, but the nurses had given him a soft toy rabbit, which Lucas occasionally found himself waving in front of the baby’s face in order to elicit some reaction. A laugh, a smile. Sometimes a burp. Whatever it was, it made whatever Lucas felt grow. Eventually he began to recognise this foreign feeling as something he felt long ago when his mother was alive. Something other than sorrow and anger. No, it was almost happiness. It was a good feeling.

After his call with Michael, he visited the nursery. The current attendant was asleep in her chair next to the crib. The baby was sleeping peacefully, his small chest rising and falling, his little expression sweet and serene. Lucas hadn’t lied to Michael when he said he would look after his son. There was no one in the world he wanted to protect more than this little boy. 

He would die before letting anything happen to him.

* * *

**Terra Nova, Now**

“Michael?” 

A soft voice coaxed him from his slumber. At first he thought it was Alicia, gently pulling him back to consciousness. The ghost of her touch teased his skin; he could imagine her holding his hand, rubbing his arm - comforting him.

“Michael, can you hear me?”

He opened his bloodshot eyes. Doctor Shannon was leaning over him, examining him. 

“What the…” Michael peered around him, realising he was in the Infirmary. The sun streamed through the windows, indicating it was the next morning. Had he been here all night? “What happened?”

“That’s what I was going to ask you,” Doctor Shannon admitted, frowning. “Curran found you unconscious in the bathroom. What’s the last thing you remember?” 

Michael cast his thoughts back to the previous night. “I had a nose bleed,” he said, his hand instinctively rising to his nostrils to wipe away the dried blood.

“Is that all?”

Michael winced, sensing the aching in his neck and back. “I...saw Alicia. I’ve seen her a couple of times now.” He played back the visions of her. How real they had seemed, how he had heard her voice, felt her touch. He wanted her so badly to be with him. He was going mad. “Then my nose started bleeding and I just passed out in the tub...Is something wrong with me?” 

Doctor Shannon’s mouth fell in a concerned frown. “How have you been sleeping?”

“Sometimes fine. Other times not so fine.”

“Any bad dreams?”

“Sure. Plenty”

“Any memory loss? Maybe nausea or an increased heart rate? Panic attacks?”

Michael sat up. “What are you getting at, Doctor Shannon?”

Elisabeth’s thin brows knit together with concern. “I think you might be suffering from PTSD.”

Michael almost laughed. He threw the covers off himself and began to climb out of the bed when Elisabeth held him back.

“It’s serious, Michael. I don’t know what you had to do for those people, but it must have been traumatic. Maybe that’s why you keep seeing Wash. And having nightmares. Of course we’d need a psychiatrist for a formal diagnosis, but that’s my opinion.”

“I don’t have time for this,” Michael said dismissively. “Am I good to go?”

Elisabeth held her breath for a moment. Then nodded hesitantly. “Physically, you’re completely fine. Mentally, though…”

“That’s good enough for me.” He got to his feet and started searching for his boots.

“I do think it’s a good idea to talk to someone,” Elisabeth offered helpfully. “Even before all of this, I thought it would have been a good idea. You suffered with headaches and hallucinations before, yes?”

She was right. Even before EdenCorp, before the occupation, he frequently had visions of his dead mother. Sometimes they were comforting, other times they were unpleasant. He would have dreams that would keep him up at night. And those horrific headaches that often sent him into a fit of anger. Lucas had them too. As time went on they got worse and worse until he couldn’t even think straight, and he did a number of things he regretted. 

“I don’t care,” he decided. “It’s not important right now. What’s important is getting Alicia back.” He finished buttoning up his shirt and then put on his shoes. 

Elisabeth’s frown deepened and she stepped closer. “Michael, I’m sorry. I’ve already told Jim. He should know what you’re going through.”

_ So much for doctor-patient confidentiality _ , Michael thought bitterly. He sighed. The Shannons really weren’t going to make life easy for him, were they? 

“Are you going to discharge me?” he asked again impatiently.

Elisabeth silently nodded. She beckoned for Curran to come and escort him. 

Michael stared at him as he walked towards him. It had been a while since he had seen him in uniform, having disgraced himself killing an innocent colonist over a gambling debt. He had been exiled as soon as he was discovered, but accepted back into the colony after rescuing Skye’s mother from The Sixers. 

Michael still remembered how Curran had covered for him when he had tried to escape from the Sixer camp. If it wasn’t for him, he probably would have been caught. He nodded him an expressionless greeting, and was met with the same. 

“You look a lot better than when I last saw you,” Curran said as he walked him out of the Infirmary. There was an unusual chill in the air and Michael looked up to see some pretty ugly rain clouds forming overhead. “Me and Reilly found you. You looked like hell.”

“I could say the same for you,” replied Michael. “How has this place been treating you?”

Curran signed. “You know, I may be back in the uniform, but I’m not back. Not really. I killed someone. One of our own. They’ll never forgive me for that. Doesn’t matter how many good deeds I do. They’ll always treat me like an outsider.”

“I know the feeling,” muttered Michael. He was silent for a minute as they walked awkwardly through the colony, the cold air causing goosebumps to form on Michael’s skin. Michael looked over at him, trying to decipher how he felt about the man, but no strong feelings emerged – even after what he had done. However, there was something about Curran that made him feel like he could talk to him. “ You know...I was mad to find out my father welcomed you back after what you did. He was so unforgiving with me, it seemed like he was willing to give everyone a second chance apart from me and Lucas. But I remember what you did at the Sixer camp. You saved me. And you saved Deborah. They may not forgive you, but at least they know where your loyalty lies...and you’re not trapped indoors like me.”

That made Curran snigger. “That is true. For what it’s worth, I think you’re telling the truth. You’re not a killer like me. You just want what’s best for the colony, right?” 

“Yeah. Of course,” said Michael, guilt still plaguing his mind. Curran didn’t know that they were more alike than he thought.

As they walked, Michael noticed a commotion by the fence. A group of Security Officers were standing outside of the fence, crowded around something and shaking their heads. He couldn’t quite work out what they were looking at.

“What’s going on out there?” 

Curran looked over at the scene, then back at Michael with a frown. “Couple of Howlers tried getting in through the fence last night.”

“Howlers? Woah. Don’t think I’ve ever seen one up close. I hear them more than I see them. Surprised they approached the colony.”

“Yeah. Their bark is usually worse than their bite. Not on this occasion though.”

It was then Michael could see the officers were picking up the dinos’ corpses and placing them in bags.

“Security footage picked up what happened,” explained Curran. “They fought desperately to get through the fence, they tore apart their limbs and bled to death. They literally killed themselves to get in here.”

Michael shuddered at the bloody image, for once glad he wasn’t wearing the uniform which meant he had to deal with that. He remembered back to a few days ago when he witnessed a similar thing with the Ovosaur. They had also acted abnormally, as if being controlled. He also remembered the way the Ovosaur acted around the monster in the Badlands. Was he insane to think it had something to do with the Howlers? Probably. 

On the way to his house, Michael saw Skye and Josh together, arguing. Josh seemed pretty upset about something, raising his voice, whilst Skye looked frustrated and worn down. She caught Michael’s gaze and forced a despondent smile. Michael waved back. Josh, noticing this, suddenly went quiet. Not too far behind them at Skye and her mother’s house was Tasha sitting on the steps. Michael nodded a hello at her, but she ignored him, perhaps remembering when he had chased her down at the market. He still felt bad about that. He genuinely wanted to see how she was doing, to help her. This past year clearly hadn’t been easy for her either without her dad. 

Curran led him back to the house. He was told if he was needed he would be summoned. 


	12. Chapter 12

The rain began around midday. Light at first but it soon got heavier. Michael couldn’t remember the last time he had seen so much rain as he peered out his window with a cup of coffee, watching people run for cover and splash through the puddles. He could hear the wind thrashing against the walls of his house, and then the loud rumbling of thunder reverberating through the colony. 

He noticed people being ushered indoors as the storm worsened, leaves and twigs and bits of debris flying through the air. He had never seen a storm like it. After a while watching the chaos outside, he thought he heard shouts coming from outside his front door. Curious, he left his cosy spot by the window to investigate. Opening the door, he was met with the sharp assault of the wind and rain hitting his skin, almost causing him to fall backwards. Curran was still standing outside his door, drenched. 

“You should get back inside,” he warned, shouting over the noise of the storm.

“I heard voices,” explained Michael. “Everything okay?”

Curran pointed behind him, beyond the wind turbines, at the lake which resided outside the colony, just beneath the mountains. It had overflowed and was spilling water into the colony at an alarming rate. Officers were rushing towards it, trucks driving past full of sandbags and other items which could be used as a barricade.

“We can’t allow the lake to flood the colony,” answered Curran anxiously. “It’ll destroy the crops.”

Michael saw the crops’ entrance was extremely close to the water. With the rate the water was spilling through, it wouldn’t take long for it to spread across the whole of the crops and destroy one of the colony’s few remaining food sources.

“I can help,” Michael volunteered, hair and shirt already soaked from the rainfall.

“No, you’re still under house arrest,” Curran yelled, his voice barely audible over the ferocious winds. “Shannon wouldn’t allow it.”

“Where’s Jim now?” Michael asked.

Curran looked back over at the flooding lake. “Dealing with that.”

“Then he’s not here to argue. Come on, we’d be much more use up there than we are here!”

Curran didn’t take much convincing, obviously feeling just as useless on babysitting duty. 

They ran through the downpour, jumping into a nearby Rhino. Curran drove at top speed towards the flood, skidding through mud and debris, Michael holding on for dear life as the torrent of water drenched his t-shirt and hair. He was starting to regret not bringing a jacket, but it was too late now. 

The rumbles of thunder seemed to be getting louder as they raced onwards. The dim sky flashed suddenly every couple of minutes, illuminating the ensuing chaos at the edge of the colony.

There were several officers, uniforms dripping wet, running back and forth and throwing down sandbags. Some appeared to be digging a makeshift drainage system opposite the crops. 

But as they approached, Michael noticed Curran looking in his rearview mirror.

“What is it?”

“Another rover, behind us. It’s coming in pretty fast.”

Michael looked behind him. There was indeed another rover speeding up behind them, dangerously skidding through the muddy terrain. 

“What the hell is he doing?” muttered Curran. He gave the vehicle a wider berth for it to overtake. 

Michael watched as the vehicle came alongside them. It was Reynolds. He was waving his arms around at them like a lunatic. “I think he wants us to pull ov-”

Suddenly, a spark of light blinded them. The car skidded. Michael squeezed his eyes shut, the light flashing behind his eyelids. He held on tight as the vehicle spun and wet mud and dirt splashed onto the windscreen. They heard a loud crash as they came to an abrupt halt. 

Breathing hard, Michael gradually released his grasp from the side of the car, knuckles white and fingers aching from the intensity of his grip. But he seemed unharmed. As did Curran beside him. They shared a shocked, bewildered look. Then, peering out the dirt-smeared windscreen of the vehicle, they saw Reynold’s rover - buried under a collapsed wind turbine. 

“Oh my god.” The two scrambled out of the car and sprinted over, the wind and rain thrashing them once more. The turbine was black, alight from where a bolt of lightning had hit it, causing it to collapse onto the hood of Mark’s vehicle. Mark was still inside, barely conscious. The driver’s door was crushed so Michael opened the passenger side to get to him. 

“Mark? Can you hear me?”

The corporal’s head was on the steering wheel, blood dripping down his forehead, though he seemed responsive. He uttered a few incoherent words, groggily lifting his head. 

Michael got in the vehicle and checked him over. “Try not to move. Any broken bones?”

Reynolds shook his head, leaning back to reveal the grazes on his face and forehead. 

“We’ve got to get him out of there, man,” Curran warned, indicating to the fire that was quickly spreading through the vehicle. 

With any luck, the rain would put it out before it spread any further. But still, Michael didn’t want to take any chances. “Can you get out?”

Reynolds tried moving his legs, but cried in agony. There was a large piece of metal sticking out of his calf, preventing him from moving. 

“If you remove it, he might bleed out…” Curran pointed out behind him.

“We don’t have a choice. He can’t stay here.” He turned to Curran. “Get me something to tie around the wound.”

Curran went to fetch something from the back of the rover as Michael turned his attention back to Mark.

“Maddy,” Reynolds breathed through gritted teeth. “Maddy…”

“We’ll get Maddy later, when you’re safe,” Michael assured him. “Now this is going to hurt.”

Without hesitation, Michael reached down and started to pull out the foreign metal from Reynolds’ leg. He blocked out the screams, instinct taking over. He felt the metal loosen, then gradually come away from the leg. Michael discarded the object, then looked up at Curran who handed him some bandages out of a first aid kit. Perfect. Michael quickly took the bandages and fashioned a tourniquet around Mark’s now profusely bleeding leg. The patient groaned. 

“Maddy…”

“Let’s get you out of here.”

Michael pulled Reynolds out the passenger side. Curran took hold of his legs and they carried him to safety. 

They set him down on the damp floor. 

“We need to get help,” suggested Curran.

“Good idea. I’ll get him to the Infirmary.”

“No,” groaned Reynolds. “The lab...Maddy is at the lab.”

Michael pushed the wet hair out of his eyes, leaning closer to Mark. “What?”

“That’s why I rushed here, to get help.” Reynolds winced. “There was an accident. Maddy and Zoe are trapped at the lab with Malcolm.”

Michael looked at Curran, a look of panic in their expressions. Suddenly they heard a car pull up and a man run up behind them.

“What the hell is going on here?” 

Jim was staring at them, wide-eyed and soaked in mud and water,

Michael stood up. “Mark says Maddy and Zoe are in danger. We need to go, now.”

Jim looked at Reynolds who offered him a weak, pained nod.

“Go,” Curran instructed. “I’ll take care of him.”

Jim didn’t need to hear anymore. He and Michael jumped into a rover and they headed straight for the lab.

“What happened?” Jim demanded as Michael drove as fast as he could without causing another accident.

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” yelled Jim.

“There was an accident at the lab, that’s all Reynolds said,” Michael explained, trying to keep calm. 

“Alright, just get us there. Fast!”

Michael hit the accelerator, heart racing as rain and twigs smashed against the car, obscuring his view. A few minutes later, he pulled up outside the lab. Both got out of the car, seeing clearly now what the emergency was.

A large tree had uprooted and smashed into the entrance of the lab, crushing the main exit. Jim immediately checked the windows, but it looked like Malcolm locked down the building due to the storm. He banged his fist against them.

“Maddy? Zoe? Can you hear me?”

Michael checked the back door, but the power to the locks was dead. It wasn’t budging. 

He ran round to meet Jim at the front. “No way in. Looks like we’ll have to move this tree.”

“That’ll take ages. What if one of them is hurt in there?”

Michael thought for a second. “Alright. You keep yelling for them. I’ll find some rope.”

He ran against the wind towards a nearby storage unit where a lot of the maintenance equipment was kept. He grabbed some rope from the bottom shelf and ran back towards Jim, narrowly missing a wooden sign that had been swept up in the wind and nearly smacked him in the face. Trying to shield his face from the twigs and debris and rainwater, Michael made it back to the car, hooking the rope to the back of it, then tying the other end to the large tree trunk. 

“Stand back,” he warned before hopping in the car. He slammed on the accelerator. The tree moved slightly, but the car was barely going forward. The wheels spun around and around hopelessly in the mud. “Come on,” he muttered. “Come on.” The engine roared. It was trying desperately. But Michael could feel himself sliding back. “Damn it!”

It was then he noticed Jim at the back of the rover, pushing it. The car moved slightly. 

“Yes!”

Mud skidded up onto Jim’s clothes, but he kept pushing with all his strength. He just needed to get the car out of the mud. He yelled at the top of his lungs, every muscle tensing, straining, pushing harder. 

“Come on…”

Michael felt the wheels spinning fast, his foot pushing down hard on the pedal. Then, he was moving. The wheels turned. The vehicle struggled onwards. Slowly but surely, the tree was being pulled away from the lab’s entrance. 

“Okay, stop!” Jim yelled.

The tree had moved enough for them to access the lab. Jim climbed over the debris, through the destroyed entrance. “Girls?” 

“Dad?” a voice wept. “Is that you?”

“It’s me, honey! I’m coming!”

Michael followed Jim, kicking away tree branches and broken glass and lab equipment. Squinting in the darkness, he saw the two girls crouched around Malcolm who was out cold. Jim rushed towards them, embracing them both before checking them over for injuries.

“We’re fine, dad,” Maddy insisted, batting away her dad’s concerned advances. “But Malcolm’s hurt. We were helping him with the terminus when the storm hit. We locked down the lab, but then the building just collapsed. Malcolm got knocked out.”

“Is he gonna be okay?” Zoe asked fearfully. 

Jim looked the scientist over. He could see Malcolm breathing. “I think so, but we better get him to your mother just to make sure. I hope the Infirmary’s okay.”

“It’s not far,” Michael said. “We can get him there, and make sure your wife’s okay.”

Jim looked at him, then nodded a thanks. 

“Where’s Mark?” Maddy queried, looking behind Michael. “He said he was going to get help. Is he okay?”

Jim opened his mouth to answer, but Michael could see he was trying to think of the best way to tell Maddy what happened.

“He got hurt,” Michael interjected helpfully. “But he’s okay. We’ll see him at the Infirmary.”

Maddy looked worried, but nodded and got to her feet. Michael helped Jim pick Malcolm up, each taking an arm and dragging him to his feet. 

“Alright, Malcomus,” teased Jim as Malcolm groaned. “You’ll be fine.”

As they carried Malcolm to the exit, Michael stopped, spotting bits of the terminus scattered across the floor. He wasn’t sure how much progress Malcolm had made on rebuilding it, but it looked pretty far off from completion now. 

“I guess we’re back to square one,” He uttered to Jim, who sighed and shook his head. They carried on towards the Infirmary.

When they arrived, Reynolds was already on a bed, his leg re-bandaged. Maddy appeared by his side in a flash, throwing her arms around him and telling him how worried she was. Mark winced at the initial force of her embrace, then chuckled and held her tightly.

“I’m just glad you’re okay.” He looked up at Michael who caught his gaze as he and Jim set Malcolm down on a spare biobed. “We’re both okay.”

The Infirmary was busy, with most beds taken by the injured. The nurses didn’t even clock Malcolm until Jim grabbed their attention, calling for one of them over the many pained grunts and cries of the patients. 

Nurse Ogawa came over to check Malcolm’s wounds. 

“Mommy!” Zoe exclaimed upon seeing her mother with another patient. Elisabeth turned and rushed over, opening her arms to hug Zoe. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay, I was so worried about you all.” 

She kissed Zoe on the head, then stood to embrace her husband.

“Josh okay?” Jim asked.

“He’s with Skye at her house.” Elisabeth pulled away, noticing Malcolm. 

“What happened?” she asked, concerned.

“I’ll explain later,” Jim said.

“He’ll be fine,” Nurse Ogawa declared, shining a light into Malcolm’s eyes. “Just a little concussed.”

“Jim, the lab,” Malcolm groaned miserably. “My work…”

Jim frowned. “We’ll salvage what we can.”

“But the terminus. This will push me back weeks.” 

“We’ll salvage what we can,” Michael repeated. “Right?” He looked at Jim who gave a small, defeated smile, then a nod. 

While the Terra Novans recovered inside, the storm had died down. Michael disappeared outside to examine the damage. 

It was as if the colony had been turned upside down. There was furniture and vegetation, broken glass, bits of wood and cloth, turned over stalls with food and other merchandise spilled out all over the damp floor. Moisture was dripping from everywhere, including Michael himself. 

He wandered over to the fields in the centre of the colony, near where Reynolds’ men had once laid into him. It was strange to think he had basically saved his life today, when days previously they had been just about ready to strangle each other. His survival instincts kicked in, and just like that, it was as if the two were allies again and the past year hadn’t happened. His anger dissipated, and he was a soldier again. 

He looked out in the distance to where the flooding had occurred. He could see from here that despite their best efforts, the water had flooded the crops anyway.

He watched forlornly at the small lake which had formed, destroying the colony’s main food source. 

He sensed a body behind him. “I’m sorry,” he said to Jim who had appeared next to him, staring at the crops with a stern, disappointed look. “You know you have no choice but to take this deal now, right?” he added.

Jim frowned. “There’s always a choice,” he said.


	13. Chapter 13

**2150**

It was painfully quiet in that dark, dingy room. Every so often, he would hear the footsteps of a passing guard, and he would wonder if they were coming for him. But they just passed on by, sometimes two of them, muttering to each other, leaving him to wonder how much time he had left.

Taylor’s eyes were closed, but he was barely sleeping. He’d only had a few hours sleep since he got to 2150. How was he supposed to sleep, knowing that everything and everyone he had fought for was under threat? That’s why when he heard the  _ clip clop _ of a woman’s heels, he felt almost relieved. Anything was better than being left alone to ponder his fate. 

The door opened and the lights flashed on. Taylor’s eyes shot open. 

Miranda Nichol was standing in the doorway. “Get up. It’s time.”

Taylor sat up on his cot and arched his brows at her, lines of surprise wrinkling his forehead. “Time for what?”

“We’re going to set you free.”

Despite his demands for an explanation, Ms Nichol was less than forthcoming. Instead, she and a couple of armed guards escorted him through the building. As they walked, an eruption of angry shouting began echoing down the halls. Taylor turned his head towards the commotion. It was his son.

“You can’t do this! You gave me your word!” Lucas bellowed, chasing after them. “I get to decide what happens to him! You gave me your word, Nichol!”

As Lucas approached like a madman, the guards swiftly grabbed him and held him back. 

Nichol stopped and looked at him, the corner of her red, wrinkled lips twisting upwards. “I’m sorry, Lucas. It’s just business.  _ This _ is your father’s purpose. It’s just the way it has to be.”

She turned away from him, flicking her short, red hair, and continued walking. 

“You lying bitch!” he screamed, almost panting with fury. 

She stopped in her tracks, alluring everyone’s gaze.

Then, she marched back over. The  _ clip clop _ of her heels getting louder, harder, with every step. She stopped in front of him, her cold, resentful glare piercing into him. Then she struck him with so much force, he recoiled and grabbed his cheek, his eyes wide with shock.

“Don’t forget who made you what you are!” she snapped viciously. “When you came to me you were just a weak, pathetic, little boy. I taught you how to gather all that anger inside of you for a purpose. How to use that brilliant brain of yours instead of wasting it playing war games like your brother! Show me some respect, you snivelling, belligerent child!” 

The Commander and Lucas were in a stunned silence. Lucas slowly straightened up, his cheek now sporting a bright red mark. He cleared his throat. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ve been….ungrateful,” he said gently, almost hoarsely. He locked eyes with his father, who was looking on with shocked bewilderment. Then he collected himself, as if not wanting to show weakness in front of the Commander. “What  _ are  _ you going to do with him?”

“Follow me and find out,” she replied, turning again. 

He did, hesitantly, trying not to let his anger show. He was never very good at hiding his emotions and his father could tell how furious and fearful he was of this woman. In a way, Taylor felt angry with her too. It was now obvious how long she had been manipulating Lucas. Shaping him. Twisting him. From Lucas’ broken childhood, Nichol had moulded him into the jaded man he was now; using his vulnerability and frustration with the things that had happened to him for her own selfish gain. And Lucas went willingly. Why not? There was nothing stopping him. Taylor had been too busy to notice. Wrapped up in himself and his work and his other son; he never realised his boy was being turned against him.

He was ashamed. Not of Lucas, but of himself. He blamed himself for all of this.

Wordlessly, Taylor followed Nichol to the building’s entrance. Everyone else retrieved their rebreathers and placed them on as Nichol typed in the building’s door code and the doors retracted. Taylor spluttered as he was greeted with 2150’s contaminated air, its foul, thick stench offending his nostrils. 

With all his time in Terra Nova, he’d almost forgotten just how bad it was back here. 

“Welcome to the world you left behind,” Nichol announced through her rebreather. They walked out of the building.

The streets were dim and thick with fog, but Taylor could just make out the other buildings towering over him, the subway bridges rumbling in the distance, the animated billboards illuminating the crowd below. 

There were hundreds of them. Angry, hopeless people. Families. They had formed a crowd around the building, standing behind barriers. Some were holding signs:

_ ‘Taylor The Traitor’ _

_ ‘Lock Him Up’ _

_ ‘Terra Nova is a Lie’ _

_ ‘Hope Dies with Hope Plaza’ _

They began shouting when they saw him:

“There he is! The Liar!”

“This is all because of him!”

“Down with Taylor! Down with Taylor!”

The Commander glanced around him, astonished.  _ They detested him _ . He had never had an angry mob after him. Quite the opposite, in fact. When he left through the fracture, he was regarded as a hero. Everyone loved him. Now it seemed they wanted him lynched. 

In front of the crowd was a camera crew, all kitted out with rebreathers and clean clothes, unlike some of the people behind them. Nichol headed over to them, taking her mask off to shake their hands and greet them with a smile. There was a podium facing the crowd with a microphone. Taylor was led to stand next to this podium, the two guards holding him in position, while Nichol took her place behind it. Lucas and a few other EdenCorp employees stood not far away, watching. 

The camera switched on and Nichol’s face flashed up on a giant screen on the building.

“Thank you all for coming,” her voice reverberated loudly through the giant speakers.

The crowd muttered and coughed. 

“As you can see, a few nights ago, Commander Taylor returned from his prehistoric paradise. Finally, after his colony decided to destroy Hope Plaza and devastate any chance of any future pilgrimages. I know you have all been angry and hungry for justice since those events, nearly one year ago.”

The crowd erupted into cries of fury and upset. 

“I know you’re all asking, what do we do with this disgraced commander? Do we turn him in to the police? Give him a trial? With all the riots and uproar caused by the anarchists, I’m sure they have enough on their hands. Of course as the main shareholder of Terra Nova, and the major provider of all its technological resources, you might expect me to want to take matters into my own hands...but I don’t see that as fair.”

She glanced at Taylor from the corner of her eyes. He glared coldly at her, his mind racing, trying to make sense of what was going on around him.

“That’s why I’m going to let you, the public, decide. I will release the Commander from my custody. He will be free to live in the world he left us to rot in. I will leave his fate to the people he so cruelly rebuffed from the paradise he created for himself and his family. Terra Nova is a lie and he sold it to you. You have a right to be angry. You have a right to hate me and my company for making this all possible, but he is the one who allowed this to happen. He made a colony where the average citizen wasn’t welcome, with a corrupt and broken lottery system which was never meant to let the majority of the population in. He has enjoyed years of clean air in a beautiful utopia. When he sent orders to destroy Hope Plaza, he condemned the rest of us to this polluted wasteland forever. 

So end your fight with EdenCorp, stand with us, and with our regained control of the fracture, we can open up Terra Nova to the public, whilst simultaneously making our present world sustainable again. Stand with me, and punish  _ him _ .”

She pointed a manicured finger at Taylor, who watched as hundreds of people clapped and roared and started pushing through the barricades to get to him. He stepped back, alarmed, and the men who had been holding him released him. He glanced over at Nichol, who raised a thin eyebrow, smiling conceitedly. 

“Run,” she said.

Taylor - horrified - did just that. He turned on the spot and ran away from her, past a sulking Lucas, past EdenCorp, and down the road. 

There was a group chasing him from behind, firing and throwing weapons. He risked a glance behind him. There was a tumultuous crowd gaining on him, fire in their eyes. They would kill him. They  _ wanted _ to kill him.

The faster he ran, the more his lungs choked on the tainted air, hindering his escape efforts. The thick fog that plagued the city served as another impediment as he tripped over garbage cans and dodged bystanders and oncoming traffic. 

He briskly turned down a dark alley. The fog was thick and hard to see through. Hearing the mob close behind, he hastily grabbed onto a fire escape ladder and climbed. 

All of a sudden he felt something tugging at his foot. A man was at the bottom of the ladder, pulling him down. Soon others appeared beside him, helping him. Taylor, heart racing, tried to climb higher, but they had a good hold of him. With all his strength, he pulled his leg away and kicked one of the men hard in the face. The man buckled backwards, surprising the others and pushing them back too. Taylor used this moment of respite to escape and pull himself up the ladder. His lungs burned as he panted heavily, spluttering and coughing. He struggled to pull himself up to the roof, but the sight of several men and women following him gave him the momentum to carry on. 

He arrived at the top, barely able to breathe. The Chicago skyscrapers, including EdenCorp, stood tall in the distance. A stark contrast to the rest of the city which stood morosely, crumbling after decades of neglect. It was like the city was as sick as the people who lived there. Dying and distraught, desperate for restoration. 

He couldn’t stop. The next building was in close proximity. Could he jump? Did he have a choice? He barely took any time to prepare himself. It was now or never. The mob were close behind. He took a good run up and leapt with as much force as he could muster.

Filled with adrenaline, his legs and arms waved frantically as he fell through the air. His mind didn’t have time to process the weightlessness, the fear, before he came crashing down. His foot hit the side of the building, bending it unnaturally. Howling in pain, his fingers scrambled for the edge of the roof, then his elbows took his weight and he hung on for dear life. 

He could sense the first couple of citizens had reached the other roof and were searching for him. In agony, Taylor desperately tried to pull himself up. He managed to pull himself onto his belly, then his knees, then - painfully - his feet. He limped for the fire escape door, but to his dismay it was locked. It was then the men on top of the other building found him, pointing in his direction. 

“How the hell did he get over there?”

Taylor had no other choice. He limped to the other edge of the building, and jumped. 

The men opposite watched, open-mouthed: “He just killed himself!”

“He’s insane!”

“Maniac!”

They did not seem keen to follow the Commander to his fate and decided to climb back down the fire escape. 

Meanwhile, Taylor panted heavily as he hung from the window ledge of the adjacent building. Luckily for him, this one seemed abandoned as it had not been converted to withstand the pollution and therefore the windows were able to be opened...or broken in to.

With his dwindling adrenaline, he swung his fist up and pounded on the glass: a challenge with one arm hanging from a ledge. His fist stung, but he repeated the action again and again, until he attacked with enough force that the old latch became loose and the windows could be rammed open. He took a deep breath and dragged his weight slowly through the window and onto the wooden floor.

He panted heavily, painfully. He sensed the dirt in his lungs and his nostrils, making him retch and wheeze. He wiped the grime and moisture from his forehead and made a weak attempt at standing. 

Before he even gained his balance, something hard collided with his skull, and he crumpled back to the floor.

* * *

“Very clever,” Lucas murmured, grinding his teeth as Nichol sealed the doors of the building and removed her mask. “With the Commander running amok in the city, the rebellion will be too distracted by him to go after you, and you come off as the hero. So this was your plan all along?”

Nichol smiled conceitedly. “Of course, I would have preferred him dead, but this was better. They can kill him for us.”

“And when they succeed?” Lucas questioned irritably. “What then?”

“I’m not worried. By then we will have control of Terra Nova. We’ll make them think the world is saved. We’ll have them eating out the palms of our hands again in no time.”

She and her guards began walking down the corridor again.

“What about me?” he called after her. ”I’m here because you promised me I could deal with him. What’s keeping me here?”

She laughed. “You won’t go anywhere.”

He glared at her. “You sound so sure.”

“Lucas, you won’t leave,” she turned around, sneering at him. “For this simple fact: you have nowhere else to go. You have no friends. No allies. Your family despise you. For god’s sake, we’re the closest thing to family you have.”

His face reddened. He balled up his fists, feeling as if the ground was crumbling beneath him. He hated her so much. For everything, but mostly because she was right.

He had no one.

“Now get back to work,” she ordered.

* * *

No object in Lucas’ lab was safe that evening as he thrashed about with all his might, all that soul-destroying, self-loathing and self-pity dominating his emotions once again, manifesting into physical violence. He had been exposed to violence from a young age, having watched his mother murdered right in front of his eyes, and now it was the easiest and most satisfying way of expressing himself. He threw his plexes against the wall, causing them to shatter. He kicked in his cupboards, denting them and snapping the wood. He let out a deep, agonising scream, lifting his desk and tossing it. All his papers scattered about the room and fluttered to the floor, his coffee mug smashed, his pens and pencils bounced off the wall. His one shot at closure had run off into the vast city. All his years of work had led to this. And now all that was left was humiliation. 

He was and always had been a puppet. Nichol had used him for all these years and he had served dutifully only to be discarded like the piece of garbage he was.

“Are you upset because your daddy ran away?” a sweet voice behind him asked from the doorway.

“Ugh,” he groaned, not bothering to look at his intruder. “Shouldn’t you be colouring or something in your room?”

Sienna leaned against the door frame, wrapping her dark braids around her fingers. “I got bored,” she lamented. “You’ve made a mess of your laboratory.”

“I know. I did it on purpose,” he barked. “Now go away.”

“Sometimes when I’m upset, I tell people to leave me alone. But I don’t mean it.”

“Well, I do.” He turned around to face Sienna who was staring inquisitively. “Leave me. God, you’re just as annoying as your infuriating mother.”

“I don’t mind being like my mommy,” she declared cheerfully. “Maybe she’ll like me more when she sees me again. Don’t you think?”

“I don’t care.”

“Are you anything like your daddy?” she queried.

That was it. 

“I am NOTHING like him!” he bellowed at her, leaning in close to her face. He panted furiously, noting the terror in her eyes. “Don’t ever say that again.”

“Okay,” she shook her head vigorously, visibly upset. “I promise. I’m sorry. I just thought you were missing your family, like me.”

He swiped at the moisture in his eyes, calming down. He leant against the counter, thinking about his mother, his father, Michael. How distant they all were from him now. “I have no family,” he muttered. 

The young girl tilted her head. “What about William?”

“William?” What was she blithering on about now?

“The baby? He’s your nephew. That’s family, right?” 

Lucas’ heavy brows cinched together, his eyes narrowing with confusion. “You named the baby?”

“I think he looks like a William. Will, for short.” She smiled saccharinely. 

“He’s not...Don’t name it,” Lucas said dismissively. “He’s leverage. That’s all.”

“That’s a funny name!” Sienna giggled. 

Lucas glared at her. 

“I’ll go finish colouring,” she sighed, then turned to leave the young scientist in his state of misery.

He leaned against the counter again, repeating her silly comments in his head.  _ William.  _ Inside, he knew she was right. He was more than leverage. Now, he realised, he really was all he had left. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Twelve Years Ago**

“Ayani and I had been married nearly sixteen years. Together for longer than that....we met while I was still in basic training. I was young and idiotic, and she was…” Taylor swallowed back the lump in his throat, feeling several pairs of eyes watching him, listening, expecting some great speech to sum up the life of the woman he loved on the day he bid farewell to her forever. But it was harder than he thought. He cleared his throat, looking down at the casket beside him. “She didn’t deserve what happened to her. None of them did. But she was brave ‘til the very end. She saved our son. And there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t miss her.” He walked towards the casket, resting his hand on top, expecting to feel some kind of connection but instead feeling nothing but a cold, wooden box. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

The young twins watched from their pew at the front of the church, tears swelling in their eyes as they watched their father’s speech. Michael felt his chest tighten, his heart breaking all over again. He couldn’t believe she was actually gone. He was proud of his dad for standing up in front of their friends and family, knowing that he would have found it far too painful. He watched tearfully as their father stepped down and the celebrant took over. 

But Lucas was far from impressed; Michael heard his low, bitter whisper in his ear: “ _ That’s _ all he has to say about her? That’s it? After everything she did for him?”

Michael turned his head to look at him, stunned by the reaction. “Lucas, he did his best.”

“His best isn’t good enough,” Lucas muttered, leaning back to watch as their father took a seat next to his comrade, Alicia Washington. He couldn’t ignore the way she comforted him, the intimate way she put her hand over his. Their father seemed to lean in to her, as if she provided him with some strength that no one else could. Lucas barely paid attention to the rest of the service after that.

* * *

Lucas hadn’t been able to sleep since the kidnapping weeks earlier. He would lie awake all night, staring at the fuzzy ceiling, replaying that day over and over in his head. Remembering the sheer terror he felt, believing he was going to die. The night of the funeral was no different. The insomnia was made worse by his brother’s persistent snoring. He wished  _ he _ could be so content in the wake of their mother’s murder. 

Grumbling, he crawled out of bed and trudged downstairs for a glass of water. He heard voices which made him stop in his tracks. He knew some relatives had come round after the funeral to keep their dad company, so he surmised that they were probably still here, despite it being almost 1am. He decided to forget the water and head back to bed, when he heard that one of the voices was female.

_ No,  _ he thought angrily, recognising the voice. He peered over the banister to see Washington sitting at the kitchen table in a crop top, his father kneeling down beside her, applying bandages to her stomach. 

“You don’t have to do this,” she said. “I can change my own bandages.”

“It’s nothing,” Taylor insisted. “Consider it payback for all the times you’ve stitched me up.”

There was a small silence as she winced. Lucas could just about make out the wound on her side before his father wrapped the bandages around her. He wasn’t sure what had happened to her in Somalia after he had been taken, but he did know she had been absent for the entirety of his time as a hostage and that she had been in intensive care for several days before being released just in time for the funeral.

Lucas rolled his eyes as he watched them both. He didn’t really know much about the woman his dad called ‘Wash’ apart from the fact she had been utterly useless in protecting him and his mother. 

As if sensing Lucas’ bitterness, Wash came out with a statement that Lucas wouldn’t have denied had she confided it in him instead: “It’s my fault,” she admitted. “It’s my fault Ayani’s gone. I was supposed to protect them. You trusted me.”

“Stop,” Taylor replied. “You did the best you could. You tried to save her.  _ I _ tried to save her. We both failed, but we can’t change it now. She’s gone. And we’re still here.”

“I still could have done more,” she argued. 

“What more could you have done? You got shot trying to protect them. You nearly died, Wash. I couldn’t lose you too.”

There was another silence as they gazed at each other. Wash was visibly upset. As if sensing this, Taylor placed his hand on her check reassuringly.

“You mean a lot to me, Wash. You always have.”

Still kneeling, he leant in and kissed her softly. It didn’t take long for her to respond, putting her hands on him and increasing the pace of the kiss. 

Lucas watched with horror as his father gently pulled her towards him, their bodies pressed together intimately. He couldn’t make sense of what he was seeing. He stepped back, nearly slipping down the stairs. His stomach churned, his body shaking. He wanted to be sick. He ran upstairs as fast as he could.

He didn’t see his father pulling away, apologising profusely, before breaking down in tears. Wash held him, as a friend, telling him it was alright.

But Lucas couldn’t stop replaying the image in his head. Their mother was barely cold yet, and he was doing these things to another woman, on the night of her funeral? He leapt back into his bed, shivering with disgust. 

His upset and confusion soon morphed into anger and bitterness. How could he do this to them? It was sick. Didn’t he care about his wife? What was so special about Washington that he could forget about their mother - just like that?

He hated them. He hated them both. As he lay there in the dark, staring at the ceiling again, he vowed that one day, he would make Alicia Washington pay for this.

* * *

**Three Months Ago**

It had taken Lucas almost a year to get used to sleeping in a bed again, but it seemed at last he had mastered it; having a mattress instead of a damp jungle floor, somewhere soft to lay his head instead of a lumpy rucksack. Not sleeping with one eye open, alert to every sound; every snap of a twig or every noise from an animal. It should have been sheer luxury from day one, but those protective instincts had ingrained in Lucas’ brain for so long, it took a hell of a long time to feel safe again. 

But then perhaps those instincts still hung around, because a noise in the middle of the night awoke him easily. 

His eyes snapped open, unsure of what it was. It was quiet and distant, but still loud enough to disturb him. Then he heard something smash and he knew something was up. 

He leapt out of bed, throwing on some clothes before heading out to investigate. 

The brightness from the corridor’s dazzling ceiling lights blinded his tired eyes at first. Everything was white. No one seemed to be around.

He walked by the baby’s room. He was asleep as he usually was. Perfectly content. All normal. Then he looked down the corridor and he saw the bodies. Two of them. Guards. Cautiously, he went over to investigate. He was just about to crouch down when he sensed someone behind him. 

“Stay where you are,” she said. He could feel the cold touch of the gun on the back of his head. He recognised the voice. He slowly raised his hands in the air and turned around.

Lieutenant Alicia Washington. She looked haggard, sick, confused. But most of all,  _ pissed _ . Her hair was greasy, her skin dry and blotchy. Her eyes were grey and bloodshot, large dark circles underlining them. Dressed in medical scrubs and barefoot, it was a surprise to see she was just as fierce as she was in her military getup. 

Lucas knew she shouldn’t have been able to even stand right now, let alone take on two grown men with weapons. She had been pumped full of drugs, shot in the head. It was a miracle she wasn’t brain damaged.

“Are you going to shoot me?” suggested Lucas, impressed rather than afraid. “Call it  _ revenge _ ?” 

She breathed deeply, letting the sweat run down her forehead. 

“Take me to the way out,” she demanded. “And don’t try anything funny or I’ll shoot and I’ll keep shooting until I get out myself.”

He paused. She didn’t know about the infant down the corridor. He could see she was growing impatient so, wordlessly, he turned and led her to the elevator. 

“Stairs,” she barked. 

“Okay.”

He could tell she was struggling. She was out of breath, in pain. She wasn’t talking much, but perhaps that was intentional. 

“You must have a lot of questions,” Lucas pressed as he led her down the steps towards the bottom floor. “You’ve been unconscious for a very long time.”

“Shut up,” she snapped, pressing the gun in between his shoulder blades. 

She was more scared than she let on. Still panting. Looking over her shoulder. Trembling. He almost felt sorry for her. 

_ Almost _ . 

She was still that deceitful whore who managed to seduce his father  _ and _ his brother, the careless soldier who let him and Ayani get kidnapped in Somalia. The woman that failed so badly at her duty she let rebels murder his mother in cold blood.

Part of him wanted to snatch that gun out of her hand and shoot her again. But he didn’t. 

Opening the door to the ground floor, Wash pulled Lucas back suddenly as they noticed two more guards walk past. She peered out, noting the increased activity by the main entrance, including the protests outside. 

She shoved Lucas against the wall, pressing the gun into his throat. “There has to be a back way. Show me.”

“Why don’t you just kill me?” smirked Lucas, a small slither of him curious to see if she actually would. “You must be itching to. I wouldn’t blame you.” 

She smacked him in the face with the gun, causing him to recoil. When he regained his balance, his eyebrow had been cut open. 

“You’re much stronger than I gave you credit for, Lieutenant.” The compliment was laced with conceited bitterness. But there was an undertone of admiration. 

“Show me,” she hissed, pressing the gun, stained with his blood, into his temple.

He sighed. Ensuring the coast was clear, he led her out onto the main floor, turning left past the empty reception, past the cafeteria, past the several offices and conference rooms until they reached a back door. The door required a code.

“Enter it,” ordered Wash.

Lucas complied, typing in the 5 digit code. The doors slid open to reveal an alley. She hesitated

“You should go before they find out you’re missing,” advised Lucas.

He could tell she was surprised by how compliant he was being. She was suspicious. Lucas wasn’t even sure why himself. All he knew was that their window was closing. 

“Go,” he snapped. “You’ve outlived your usefulness anyway.”

She turned to face the doors, then Lucas. She was panting again, her thin face darkening with a look of revulsion. She raised her gun weakly. 

She pulled the trigger.

Before Lucas could tell what was happening, the sonic blast had thrown him to the other side of the corridor, an explosion of pain centering around the core of his torso, and then his back as it collided with the wall behind him.

When he looked up, she was gone. 

Early next morning he had an earful from Miranda Nichol. The company nurse had treated his injuries when Miranda barrelled in, not even waiting for him to put his shirt on before screaming at him. 

The front and back of his torso was black and blue and he winced when he moved. He blocked out Nichol’s angry words as he carefully put his shirt back on, bored of her chastisements. 

“One day, Lucas Taylor, your lack of discipline is going to get you killed. For a genius, you’re quite an idiot.”


	15. Chapter 15

_ The skies of Chicago were bleak and grey. Much like the streets on which he and his men marched through: dark, sombre, hopeless. His breathing hastened through his rebreather, clutching his rifle, expecting at any moment for members of the rebellion to ambush them.  _

_ Normal citizens went about their day, avoiding the soldiers’ gazes nervously as they walked through the thick haze to work, to see friends and family, to visit the market for what few items were being sold.  _

_ With the blink of an eye, it all turned ugly. As it usually did. A routine patrol escalated into a full blown battle. The enemy attacked from above, hidden in the city’s oldest apartment complexes, sniping off his men one by one.  _

_ People started running and screaming. His soldiers started firing back. Bullets sprayed back and forth. _

_ Then, a loud explosion sent several of them flying into the wall behind them. A car bomb. Fire and debris fell from the sky. His soldiers were bleeding, screaming. _

_ “What do we do, Captain?” _

_ He heard the desperate plea in his ear. He had no answer. He was no captain. He couldn’t lead. He couldn’t do this. _

_ He looked up from the filthy concrete, blood and sweat dripping down his face. There was a man in the road ahead of him in ragged, torn uniform. Bleeding. Crying.  _

_ Captain Taylor felt his stomach tie in knots; his heart stopped dead in his chest.  _

_ “Gus?” _

_ The man’s eyes were glazed over, his skin a ghostly white. The blood spread across his torso, staining his uniform. He remembered Gus, and he remembered how he died. Not here, not now.  _

_ “Stop,” Gus said. “Stop, please.” _

_ “I don’t understand,” Michael whimpered.  _

_ As Gus dropped to his knees, another figure grabbed Michael’s leg and pulled him backwards. Michael yelled out, surprised, and looked up at the man who was dragging him.  _

_ The man was tall and broad, with tanned skin and short black hair. He grimaced, a disapproving look in his deep brown eyes. This man, too, was familiar.  _

_ “Guzman? S...Sir?” Michael stuttered, shocked, as his late, former superior threw down the limb and wore a cold, hollow expression.  _

_ “I died...for this?” he spat hatefully. “Orphaned my child...so she could live in fear? How could you let this happen, Michael?” _

_ “I don’t...I tried to do the right thing, that’s all. I tried to do the right thing!” _

_ “We still died,” he said hauntingly. “Because of you.” _

_ He saw his men fall. Blood spattered. The light faded from their eyes. He saw it all too often. They fell, and the enemy fell too.  _

_ He pulled the trigger and these once normal people - these people who would go about their day and visit friends, visit family, go to work - he pulled the trigger and killed them all too. They fell and bled and screamed. Some were only kids. They were people just like him, just like his soldiers. They were all just people.  _

_ But they still fell. _

Michael woke up on the couch, yelling in horror. His skin was hot and moist from sweat as he rolled off the warm fabric onto the cool floor and started panting. Every time he closed his eyes he saw people falling, dying. He saw war. It was still with him, following him even 85 million years in the past. The horrors he had seen. But Gus and Guzman...two men out of many he had failed to save. Their ghosts were still haunting him. 

The nightmares happened every now and then. He figured he had been too distracted by Wash and the mission to think about it much, but the memories were still in there somewhere, just below the surface, ready to push him over the edge.

He had been quick to dismiss Doctor Shannon’s suggestion that he was suffering from PTSD. It didn’t seem so funny anymore as he sat up on the couch, shuddering, still seeing the visions in his mind. Perhaps there was some truth in her diagnosis, but he didn’t have time to worry about that now. 

“That guilty conscience of yours is going to destroy you.”

He glanced over to see his imaginary Wash leaning over the kitchen counter and he rolled his eyes.

“You’re not real,” he muttered, facing away from her. “You’re just a symptom.”

“I guess,” she smirked. “But I seem real, don’t I? And you know I’m telling you what you already know.”

He got to his feet, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “I’m so close, Alicia. They’re so close to believing me, to accepting this deal.”

“You don’t even trust Nichol. How can you expect everyone else to?”

He softened. “Can’t we just let them come? Can’t we just stop fighting for once? This place was never ours to begin with. Just let them in. Then I can come and get you and our baby.”

She paused, narrowing her eyes at him. He knew she wasn’t real, but he still felt the shame from her judgement. “Do you think when I sacrificed myself, it was to let them win? When Lucas pointed that gun to my head and I refused to give your father up, that it was all for nothing?”

“Of course not.”

“We can’t let them in. They can’t win.”

“I know, but…”

“Michael. You can’t trust them.”

“I don’t have a choice!”

“Yes you do. You know who to trust. You know who can help you.”

Michael scoffed. “The Terra Novans? They won’t help me. They treated me like an outsider. Like the enemy. So I became exactly what they thought I was! I lied to everyone. I kidnapped Skye. I nearly killed my own brother. I destroyed so many innocent lives...why would they help me?”

“Because they know we have to be better. We have to work together if this civilization wants to survive.”

He closed the gap between them, wanting to touch her. Even if it wasn’t real, he just wanted to feel her. Be with her. “If I abandon this mission, I risk losing you.”

She smiled sadly, her eyes gleaming. “You already have.”

A heavy knock sounded at the door and he snapped out of the vision. Alicia was gone. He took a few seconds to compose himself, then headed for the door.

“Look, Reynolds,” he called. “Whatever it is, I’m not in the mood for it today. Okay?” 

He opened the door and was surprised to see Jim Shannon standing there, raising an eyebrow at him as he took in his disheveled appearance..

“Jeez, Michael. Rough night?”

“Just a bad dream,” Michael shivered.

“Well, get dressed. Let’s go for a walk.”

Not long later and the two men were out on a morning stroll through the colony. Now in the sunlight, Michael could take in the terrible damage to the colony as they stepped over bits of rubble and debris from the storm. Trees and shrubs were upturned. Some housing units had half-collapsed. Vehicle windows had smashed. They walked past soldiers and civilians who were beginning to pick up the pieces and gradually rebuild, but with limited supplies Michael doubted they would be able to restore the colony to its once trim and perfect setting. That image had already been wrecked enough during its original battering in the invasion. 

“Half of the crops survived,” Jim informed Michael as they wandered by the plaza, dodging bits of broken wood and twigs. 

“That’s good,” Michael said.

“I know what you’re going to say. But we’ve got through worse.”

“You have?”

“Trust me. A lot has happened in the past year, and we still survived. It’s been hard but we made it work, with no help from the future.”

“I understand your unwillingness to cooperate with them, but…”

“No,  _ you  _ don’t understand,” barked Jim, coming to an abrupt halt. “You don’t even know what the hell they’re doing to Taylor back there. Not to mention Wash or your kid. You trusted them because you had no choice. I’m telling you that was a mistake. You know more than anyone what they’re capable of. Do you really want anyone else to get hurt?”

Michael looked down, staring at the mud on his boots.

“I spoke to Elisabeth. She’s concerned about you. She thinks you’re suffering from some kind of PTSD? Black outs? Hallucinations? Reynolds reported you’ve woken up screaming a few times. Guessing you’ve had more than one bad dream?”

“ _ He’s onto you _ ,” Alicia’s voice whispered in his ear. “ _ Face it, he’s not going to back down _ .”

Michael shuddered and his shoulder twitched, as if to bat her away. Jim stared at him, raising an eyebrow and noticing his irritability. 

“This isn’t about me,” Michael snapped, losing patience - and pride. He didn’t need Jim listing off his problems. What he needed were solutions. 

“I’m just saying, look what these people did to you. They tore you down and built you up to be one of them. And you really think you can put your faith in them?”

“They’re not the only ones who tore me down,” Michael retorted. “You don’t know what it’s like to have your own people - your own family - turn against you.”

Jim frowned. “I suppose not. It sounds like your family has been through more than I could imagine.” He paused. “I’m sorry you felt let down. Abandoned, even. I just think after everything the colony has been through, it was easy to turn against anyone who betrayed our trust, even if they had good intentions.”

Michael’s jaw stiffened and he bit his tongue. “You don’t have to patronise me, Jim.”

“I’m just trying to be sympathetic,” Jim reasoned. “I’m trying to understand. I know you’ve been through a lot this past year.”

Michael felt the ghost of Alicia’s lips against his ear, her invisible hand on his shoulder. He imagined her warm breath on his cheek. “ _ Your heart has always been in the right place. But you need to stop carrying this burden by yourself. You need to ask for help.” _

_ “What if no one can help me?”  _ he asked inwardly.  _ “What if it’s all up to me?” _

_ “We’re stronger together,”  _ she responded. “ _ Look where going it alone has got you so far. I’m missing. Our son is alone without his parents. The Commander is most likely dead.” _

He felt the pain in his chest. Oh, no.

_ “We have to be better,” she repeated. _

Michael felt the colour drain from his features. He looked down at the ground, the very spot Alicia had sacrificed herself, where he had held her, thinking she was gone forever. She didn’t make that sacrifice so they could let the enemy in. 

A long moment passed and Jim started to back up. “Fine. I’ll send you back to the Brig if that’s what you want.”

“I just wanted to do the right thing,” Michael murmured aloud, stopping Jim in his tracks. “I needed to believe...I don’t even know where Wash is now.” A solemn look crossed his features as he looked Jim in the eye. “They wanted me to kill you. I could have...in the Badlands. But I didn’t.” He replayed his last moments with his father in his head, pushing him into that portal, into the hands of the enemy. “What have I done?”

Jim put his hands on Michael’s shoulders, calming him. “Now you realise we have to work together to stop them. We can’t allow EdenCorp to get their hands on the colony.”

Michael panicked. “If she finds out I’m working against her, she’ll hurt my son, or my dad.”

“She won’t know,” Jim reassured him. “We’ll let her think she’s winning. That you’re taking over Terra Nova.” 

Michael seemed uneasy. “I don’t know, Jim.” 

“We can work out the details later.” He straightened up, pausing a moment. “Thank you, Michael.”

He looked over at Jim, raising an eyebrow. “You’re thanking me? Why?”

“For being honest with me. And for what you did for my girls yesterday. It was then I realised you’re not the selfish asshole you’ve been making yourself out to be. You didn’t have to help during that storm, but you did. And it wasn’t to convince us of anything. You put yourself in harm’s way to help the colony. So thank you.”

Michael felt his cheeks redden slightly. He had not been expecting to hear that from anyone, let alone Jim. It had been so long since someone had spoken this highly of him. It felt good. 

“Oh, Maddy wanted me to invite you to Boylan’s tonight for a gathering. I guess to thank you.”

Michael was speechless. He had gone from a prisoner to being invited to community get-togethers. Was he imagining this? 

“Does that mean I’m not under house arrest anymore?” Michael queried.

“Yep. You’re free. Make no mistake though, I’ll be watching you closely. And you’ll be earning your keep. You can start by helping us clean up this mess.” He gestured to the storm’s aftermath. “Curran will be along in a minute to keep an eye on you.”

Michael formed a somewhat bewildered smile. “Okay.”

“Great,” Jim turned to leave. “Oh, and Michael? I will do everything I can to get your family back. I promise. We’re working on it.”

Michael nodded gratefully, watching him head back into the Command Centre. He then was astonished to find he was out, alone. No guard to babysit him. No Jim breathing down his neck. 

He was free.

* * *

Michael spent the day clearing the mess the storm left behind with his apparently new friend, Curran. 

It figured Michael would befriend a killer, as if his reputation couldn’t get any worse. But he seemed to relate the most with outsiders, being one himself. Apart from Michael, Curran was probably the second most hated and distrusted Terra Novan in the colony. 

No wonder they got on so well. 

They talked and joked around a lot during their mass clean up operation. Curran expressed his guilt for what he did to Ken Foster, their former colleague. Michael hadn’t known the man very well, apart from the fact he enjoyed engaging in relationships with married women. But they agreed that Curran’s reason for setting a Nykoraptor on him had been horrifically unjust. 

“He didn’t deserve it,” Curran lamented, throwing the remains of a housing unit’s roof into a nearby container. “He may have been a cheat, but he didn’t deserve what I did to him. I think about it every day. I understand if no one here ever forgives me. All I can do is keep working, keep helping the colony as best I can until I’ve earned acceptance.”

Michael picked up some wooden panels from the pile of debris and tossed it in the container as well. “That’s big of you. At least you’re trying to make amends. I know it can never make up for Foster but...it’s a start.”

“Trust me, it will be with me until the day I die. That’s my punishment.” He sighed, breaking down a bit of wood. “Once you’ve killed a man, there’s no way to go back to the person you were. I’ve changed, that’s for sure.”

Michael paused, remembering General Philbrick again. The first time he had killed, as a young man. The life draining from Philbrick’s eyes still haunted him, added to all the other nightmarish memories of people who he watched die, of people he had killed. He had lost count now. 

“It doesn’t get any easier,” he murmured.

Curran looked over inquisitively, but didn’t press any further. Michael was thankful he didn’t ask any more. He just wanted him to know he was familiar with that pain. That undoable action, that sense of permanence. There’s no escape from it. Every single one would be with him for the rest of his life. 

By the evening, they had made a good start of restoring the colony. There were still plenty of repairs and maintenance work to be carried out, but visually, Terra Nova looked in much better condition. 

The two soldiers locked their kit up in the maintenance shed and cleaned themselves up, dusting the dirt from their clothes. 

“You coming to the thing tonight at Boylan’s?” Michael asked. 

Curran shook his head. “I don’t think I’d be welcome.” 

“You don’t know that.”

“I’d rather not risk it,” replied Curran. “Think I’ll veg on the couch and read old magazines, seeing as there’s no batteries left for my plex.”

Michael smiled and said goodbye. He felt weird being alone. How would people react if he showed up at Boylan’s on his own? He considered not going, but in a way, that might be perceived as worse, that he was refusing to integrate back into the colony or something.

After much debating, he decided to show up. He could catch up with Boylan while he was there if nothing else. 

The sun was setting when he arrived and he took what felt like the longest descent down those familiar steps. He felt awkward and so alone as he entered the bar and saw a crowd of all his old friends and colleagues, laughing and chatting, drinking from their cups. He saw Boylan serving drinks and gravitated to him immediately. 

“So it is true!” cheered Boylan with a wide grin. “You’ve been let out to play, eh?”

Michael smiled and raised his hands in a shrug. “We’ll see for how long.”

“Don’t be like that,” chastised Boylan. “That Shannon’s made the only good decision since he took over, lettin’ you out!”

Boylan cheerfully poured him a drink and placed it in front of him. Michael raised the cup to his lips, eager for his first taste of alcohol in what seemed like ages. God knows he needed it. However, it wasn’t as tasty as he’d hoped. He wrinkled his nose at the bitter taste. “Terra Novan beer,” he said unenthusiastically. “Can’t say I missed it.”

“Oi, that’s the closest to the real thing you’ll get out ‘ere.” 

Michael laughed. “It’s good. Real good. Thanks Tom.” He looked around, noticing the odd few looks being shot in his direction. Some angry, some confused, some surprised. Others simply tried to avoid him altogether. 

“Don’t give ‘em any notice,” Boylan said, nudging him. Again, Michael chuckled, but inside, it bothered him just how much of an outcast he still was. 

He noticed Jim and Elisabeth at a table with Reynolds and Maddy. Even Zoe had been brought along as she drew pictures at the table, looking a bit sleepy. He locked eyes with Jim who nodded him a greeting and and an appreciative smile. Michael nodded back and raised his cup. Then Jim went back to his family, and Michael went back to his drink.

“Keep those beers coming, Tom.” 

“I’ll start a tab for you, shall I?” 

Michael nodded, then took another sip of his beer before he felt a strong poke in his ribs. Confused, he spun round, only to see Skye Tate grinning in front of him. He instantly took her into a hug, and she embraced him back tightly. She felt so small and comforting, he thought he could stay like this for hours. But of course she pulled away, looking up at him through wide, blue eyes. 

“I’m so glad you’re not under house arrest anymore! What changed?” 

“A few good deeds, a little honesty. I think I’m winning back trust around here,” he admitted before searching the room and clocking onto a few suspicious gazes. “Gradually,” he added.

She smiled, then her gaze locked onto Josh Shannon who had just come into the bar carrying a tray of clean cups. He stared at her for a moment, then dropped off the cups and walked back from where he came from.

Skye sighed woefully.

“What was that about?” Michael questioned. “You could cut the tension with a knife.”

Skye rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, leading him over to a table for a bit more privacy. They both sat down and she stared down into her empty cup. “We broke up,” she explained.

“Oh. Sorry to hear that. Why?” 

Another deep sigh. “It’s just complicated,” she muttered. “We both have feelings for other people…”

“Oh…” he said again. There was an awkward beat of silence before Michael asked: “Who?”

“Kara, his girlfriend who died in the attack. He’s still getting over her. Whenever we’re together...he just has so much guilt. He gets so angry. We fight all the time. It’s exhausting,”

“I guess he needs time.”

“This is the third time we’ve broken up,” she admitted ruefully. “It’s just not working. We care about each other so much, but there’s a lot of feelings I think we need to work out.”

“Do you think you’ll ever get together again?”

“I don’t know. Maybe one day. But I have this feeling deep inside that he’s not the one for me.”

“I see. Have you not talked about this to any of your other friends? Or your mom?” 

“My mom is still getting used to being back so I don’t wanna overwhelm her with my problems. She didn’t even feel like coming out tonight. She thought all the people would set her anxiety off. And my friends!” she let out an exasperated laugh. “Hunter admitted to having a crush on me, so I doubt I can go to him for advice. Max doesn’t really talk to me much anymore since the whole Sixer thing. Tasha is so full of anger since her dad...We get along fine and everything. She’s like my sister. But she doesn’t like talking much, especially about boys. I think that’s the last thing on her mind.”

Michael nodded. “Well, consider me a shoulder to cry on. I’m all ears.”

“Thanks.” She smiled warmly. 

She took a sip of her drink and let the cup linger by her lips. “But anyway, it’s not all him. It’s me too. You know about my feelings.”

Michael exhaled deeply. “Lucas.”

He remembered Skye confessing her confused feelings for his brother. At the time it made him feel angry and betrayed. But it was his fault; he was the one who told her endless stories about his clever twin brother who had gone OTG years before. By his own admission, he had talked Lucas up and invented an ideal version of him, which Skye in her impressionable teenage years had fallen for. Even after meeting him in person and witnessing his terrible deeds, she still cared for him. 

“I can’t help how I feel,” she bemoaned.

“Love is complicated,” agreed Michael, contemplating his own relationships, familial and romantic. He considered that all his relationships had been quite confusing and complex.

He could sense Skye’s embarrassment, noticing her cheeks flushing a sweet, rouge colour. She lifted her head to look at Michael.

“You remember when I was younger and I had a huge crush on you?”

“Oh, yeah,” Michael said, feeling a little awkward himself. He remembered the time he and Skye were out looking for Lucas and she had dared him to jump the falls with her. He did so, after some convincing, and after the landing, she had kissed him quite suddenly. A surprise to Michael, who recoiled and admitted his feelings for Wash. It had all been forgotten about until Lucas came back on the scene. 

“I think, in some ways, those feelings are still there,” she revealed shyly. “I love you, Michael. You’re my family, my best friend. But sometimes when I see you, I don’t know...I feel something. And when I see Lucas...sometimes it’s so intense. I think perhaps those feelings for you transferred to him.” She crossed her arms defensively, hugging herself. It had taken a lot to confess this to him. “Maybe there’s something wrong with me.”

Michael swallowed hard, unsure what to say at first. When Skye had first kissed him, it had been a bit of a shock. She was his best friend. Practically his sister. He had never looked at her like that. But Lucas did. 

“Skye, you’re still so young. It’s easy to get confused.”

“I’m nearly nineteen,” she argued. “I’m not just a kid anymore.”

“I know, I know.” It was hard to know the right thing to say. “We’ve been through a lot together. Maybe what you feel is actually something else. This is still new to you. Just be careful, especially with Lucas. You know he has feelings for you. I wouldn’t want him to hurt you, ever.”

She nodded and smiled softly. Then buried her face in her palms. “Oh, I can’t believe I said that to you. All the stuff you’re going through right now, you don’t need my melodramatic teenage crap.”

“It’s okay, really. I missed this. Us talking like we used to.”

“I missed it too.” They grinned at each other.

“Alright, alright!” Jim shouted, getting everyone’s attention. “I know there’s been a lot of tension in the colony lately. I apologise for that. I promise that everything will be resolved soon. I just want us to raise a cup to our absent friends. The ones we’ve lost, and the ones that are still out there, fighting for us. Commander Taylor, for one. We’ll be doing everything we can to get him back to us as soon as possible.”

Everyone raised their cups and took a sip. 

“Anyway,” Jim continued. “I think we could use a celebration. My daughter, Maddy, and her boyfriend, Mark, have an announcement.”

Maddy and Mark stood up, grinning and giggling, hand in hand. Mark was supporting himself with a crutch, an aid to help him with his injury from the previous day. 

“Um, first of all, thank you all for coming,” Maddy declared happily. “I know we’ve all been through a lot these past few days. Last night in particular.” She paused, the atmosphere in the room suddenly becoming heavier. “When the storm hit, I was trapped in the lab with Doctor Wallace and my sister. I thought we were gonna die.” She paused, then indicated to Mark beside her. “And Mark, who was involved in a rover accident, nearly  _ did _ die. I just want to thank someone who was present at both incidents, and helped both Mark and I to safety. Corporal Michael Taylor.”

Everyone turned to stare at Michael, whose eyebrows nearly raised off his face with surprise. He hadn’t been expecting that.

“Thank you, Corporal Taylor. You helped us in our hour of need, and saved our lives.”

People started clapping, a little awkwardly at first, but it soon built up as the Shannons started slapping their hands together enthusiastically, encouraging the room to do the same. Michael waved a thanks at them, embarrassed. But it felt great to be appreciated again. To do something good and have it acknowledged. He was surprised Mark had agreed to this, given their tense rivalry and Michael’s threat to reveal his true nature to the colony. But he was clapping too, albeit a little less enthusiastically. 

“Anyway,” Maddy continued. “It made Mark and I really think hard about the future, and how much we care about each other, and how we really do not want to lose each other. So,” she started beaming, a huge grin forming on her face as she brought her left hand into view, a modest-looking ring on her finger. “We decided to get engaged.”

The room started booming with cheers and applause, joy on everyone’s faces. People started queuing for hugs, congratulating the happy couple. Laughter and squeals filled the air. 

But in the distance, Mark was staring holes into Michael, knowing that he could ruin the couple’s happiness with just one sentence. His sinister gaze rather ruined the moment, so Michael didn’t hang about. He made his excuses to Skye and headed for the exit. 

But on his way, passing through the crowd, he could hear pained grunts and cries as he passed the storeroom. Instinctively, he went to check it out, carefully opening the door.

“Hello?”

There, lying on his side, was Boylan, clutching his chest in agony. He was panting, struggling to breathe, his face turning purple. 

“Tom? Tom? Can you hear me?”

His limbs dropped and he lost consciousness. Michael rushed to the floor, pushing him gently on his back and feeling his pulse. He could feel it was weak. He leant over to see if he was breathing. 

Nothing.

“DOCTOR SHANNON!” he screamed.

He could still hear a lot of commotion from the other room, so he kept screaming as loud as he could.

“SOMEONE HELP!”

He immediately started chest compressions, remembering his training, the first aid that Wash and Guzman had drilled into him. He hoped it was good enough. It had to be. He couldn’t lose Tom. 

_ You can’t die,  _ Michael thought desperately as he pounded on the man’s chest.  _ You can’t die.  _

_ Not Tom. _


	16. Chapter 16

**2150**

Taylor awoke gradually to his head throbbing with pain, his eyes slowly trying to make sense of the blurry figures in front of him. He sensed he was in an armchair, in a dimly lit room. There was a face in front of him, dabbing his head with something cool. It took a long time for it to come into focus. He could tell it was a woman’s face. Dark hair. Brown eyes. Then she began to seem familiar.

He blinked a few times, trying desperately to focus his gaze. Then he saw her, up close.

“Wash?”

Wash smiled, her eyes glimmering with tears. “Commander.”

He didn’t care about the pain. He leaned in and embraced her. “You’re alive,” he whispered. “Thank god you’re alive.”

“It’s good to see you again, sir,” she smiled, holding him tightly. “I’m sorry about your head. I didn’t recognise you at first.”

“That’s alright,” he said, sitting up carefully. He looked around him, noticing he was in an old apartment. Behind Wash, there were three other women. They all looked a bit apprehensive. 

“Where am I?”

“Oh. This is where we were holding up. My group and I.”

“Your group?” 

“Yes. This is Rae,” she pointed to a young girl behind her who waved. “Tara.” An older woman who frowned suspiciously at him. “And Mags.” A twenty-something woman with a friendly face who nodded a hello. “There’s more in the other room.”

Taylor leaned forwards slightly, his forehead creasing, confused. He noticed how the women were dressed, a bit like vigilantes with knives and guns strapped to them. “I don’t understand. Wash, how did you get here? Who are these people?”

“It’s all a bit hazy,” she admitted, getting to her feet. “I escaped EdenCorp where I was being held. They must have knocked me out the entire time because I don’t remember any of it. One day I woke up in a room, stole a gun and broke out. Lucas was there. I used him as a hostage. I don’t remember a lot of what happened but I got out and just kept running and running until I ran into these guys. They’re with the rebellion.”

“Dammit, Wash. You joined the rebellion? You’ve been fighting the Phoenix Group? After what happened to you?”

Wash turned to her companions. “It’s alright, ladies. You can leave us now.” The three women left the room silently, leaving the two old comrades alone. “My brain might still be healing,” she told Taylor, “but my body feels fine. I’ve been taken care of.” 

Taylor stared at her. She did look in a better condition than he expected her to be in. But she was thinner than he remembered, maybe a bit more weary than usual. But still, she had been through a trauma. It was hard to believe she could jump back so easily into a fight.

“I’m surprised to see you here,” she said, offering a baffled smile. “How on earth did you get here? I thought I told Jim to destroy the bridge to the future?”

“It’s a long story, Wash. There’s so much to tell you. You’ve been gone…”

“A year. I know. I figured that out after a while. I just don’t get why they kept me there for so long. I assume as some sort of leverage against you?”

“They didn’t use you against  _ me _ ,” explained Taylor.

He paused, letting Wash think for a moment. “Michael? But…”

She tried hard to remember the last time she saw him. It felt like an age. Her memory was still fuzzy. She could only remember bits and pieces from before she was shot. Then she remembered the gun pointed at her head. Michael’s fearful expression in the crowd. She remembered moving her lips silently, telling him she loved him.

Her eyes welled with tears. “Is he okay?”

“He’s alright. He and the baby are fine.”

She stopped and stared at him, wrinkling her nose. “The baby?”

There was a long, terrible silence. 

“You don’t remember?” he asked.

She put a hand to her stomach.  _ Was there a baby _ ? She gently raised her shirt, revealing a long scar on her belly which was already well on the way to healing.  _ Yes...a baby _ . She sensed it, but she didn’t remember. She put a hand to her mouth. “I...I was pregnant.”

“I’m sorry,” Taylor said, frowning. “I only just found out, too. I believe he was born five or six months ago?”

“ _ He _ ?” she repeated. “I have a son? Michael and I? We have a son?”

Clearly, she was in shock. She looked like she might keel over any minute. Taylor stood and took her hand, leading her over to the chair. She buried her head in her hands, her silky dark hair draping over her face.

“I can’t believe this. I missed it. I missed my whole pregnancy?”

“I’m sorry, Wash,” Taylor said again, still holding her hand.

“And the baby? Oh my god, he’s still with them?”

“Yes, but don’t worry. They won’t harm him. Not while they’re controlling Michael for their plans.”

Wash stared at him blankly. She was so thrown by all of this.

“Michael was here with you the whole time,” he clarified. “He came after you, through another portal. He stayed for months, but then he came back home. Following the orders of…”

“Miranda Nichol,” she spat.

“You know about her?”

“The rebellion told me about her.” she gripped the arms of the chair, her jaw going rigid. “I’m going to kill her. I’m going to kill her and get my baby back. Taylor, please.” She looked deep into his eyes, tears streaming down her face. “Help me.”

He knelt beside her and gripped her hand tightly. “Anything. I’ll do it.”

“I missed you,” she cried. It had been such a long time since one of them had seen the other this vulnerable.

He felt his heart break for her. He kissed her hand, then embraced her as she leant her head on his shoulder. 

“I missed you too, Wash.”

* * *

**Terra Nova**

_ “Michael, meet Tom Boylan. He’s our Munitions Officer here at Terra Nova.” _

Michael heard his father’s voice in his head, cheerfully introducing him to his good friend and colleague, Tom Boylan. He tried to remember the storeroom as it was, the way Boylan arranged all the weapons and ammunition, neatly organised across all the shelves and tables. He could see Tom’s face, a few less wrinkles, a little more hair. He was working on something, with the components of a rifle expertly separated into pieces on the desk in front of him. He looked up, grinning. 

_ “G’day, Commander. What can I do for you today?” _

“ _ I’d like to introduce you to my son Michael. He’s just starting his post as Corporal.” _

_ “Nice to meet you, Mike.” Boylan extended his hand.  _

_ “Michael,” Michael corrected, taking the man’s hand. His grasp was firm, but friendly.  _

_ “Course. I hope Guzman’s taking it easy on ya. He can be quite a slave driver.” _

_ Michael chuckled. “He’s good. He’s a great teacher.” _

_ “Glad to hear it.” _

_ “Tom here is damn good at what he does. Expert knowledge of weaponry. Whatever you need, he’ll find it for you. If something needs fixing, he’ll fix it. Guaranteed.” _

_ Tom rolled his eyes, embarrassed.  _

_ “Don’t sell yourself short, Tommy-boy,” Taylor teased him. “We’re lucky to have you on the team.” _

_ “I’ll look forward to working with you,” Michael said, smiling. _

_ “You too. See you around, kid. And welcome.”  _

That was the first time Michael met Boylan. Back when the former officer and the Commander were pals. Back when Tom was proud of working under Taylor’s command. Back when he was ‘Tommy-boy.’ 

Michael and Boylan remained friendly with each other. They’d gone on patrol a few times, but mostly Michael would catch up with him in the stores whenever he needed to restock on weapons, or he needed a repair job. Boylan was always there. 

Including the one night Michael needed him the most.

_ He had just emptied the contents of his stomach a mere fifteen feet from General Philbrick’s bloody corpse. He couldn’t hear anything, could hardly see. The woods were spinning, making his stomach turn even more. He still felt the sensation of his finger pulling the trigger, the gun firing. What had he done?  _

_ When he looked up, Tom Boylan was there, emerging from the trees. _

_ “Mike?” _

_ This was the last time Michael remembered seeing him in his uniform. His eyes were wide. Fearful. Then suddenly he was picking Michael up, getting him to his feet. His hands were on Michael’s face, holding up his head, trying to get him to focus. _

_ “Look at me. Go home.” _

_ Michael uttered a few incomprehensible words. He was sick. Weak. _

_ “Me and ya dad will take care of this. Understand? Go,” Boylan instructed, guiding the young man away. “Go now.”  _

_ Michael felt his strength return to him. Dazed, he headed off home. He couldn’t remember how he got back, but he had. Because of Boylan.  _

That felt like so long ago now, as Michael sat by Tom’s bed-side. He looked so frail, with tubes coming out of his mouth and nose, looking older than ever. 

It was scary seeing him like this, but at least he was alive. Michael managed to revive him but he had not regained consciousness since arriving at the Infirmary. Elisabeth at least was taking good care of him. It was just a matter of time, she had advised, trusting that Boylan would regain his strength and wake up. 

It was hard not to let the memories of Wash’s Syncillic Fever back in, sitting by her sick-bed, watching her die. She looked like a completely different person back then. Small, thin, pale. That’s how Tom looked now. He was always full of energy and jokes, winding people up. This wasn’t him. 

“Michael, sorry to interrupt.” Jim appeared behind him. He paused, probably taken aback by the sight of Boylan so sick and helpless. “Elisabeth filled me in on his condition. He’s stubborn. He’ll pull through.”

“I hope so,” Michael said softly, still watching Tom sleep. 

“We need to discuss our next move,” Jim added. “With Nichol.”

Michael closed his eyes. He could have groaned out loud. He had almost forgotten about all of that. But Jim was right. His family needed him. He got to his feet.

“Let’s go.”

The rest of the council were already waiting for them in the Command Centre, minus Elisabeth and Boylan, obviously.

“I’ve already briefed them,” Jim explained as they took their seats at the end of the table. “You can talk freely.”

Michael felt a little shaky as he sat down, nerves getting the better of him.

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” spat Reilly at the opposite end of the table. “We gave you the benefit of the doubt, and you planned to screw us over.”

“Cut him some slack. He was doing it for his child,” Sonya argued supportively. She had obviously changed her tune from the other day, perhaps on finding out a baby was involved.

“How many kids do you have, Sonya? Will you cut him some slack when the Phoenix Group come back and start shooting up the colony again?” Reilly snapped.

Sonya sat back in her seat, pacified.

“I’m sorry I lied,” Michael said, finding his voice. “I know it was wrong. But I hope you can trust me now.”

“Why should we trust you?” a man said accusingly. Michael tried to remember his name. Hill? Hale? That was it. Nick Hale. He owned a store in the market.

“Look, I’ve dug myself a pretty big hole here. But I’m putting my faith in Terra Nova. I need you to help bring my father back here. To save Wash and my son.”

“So all these things you said they could offer us?” grumbled Casey Durwin. “It was all a lie?”

“I think their offer of peace was a lie,” admitted Michael. “I believe they would have only fulfilled their promises if it meant it benefitted their agenda.”

“Which is to essentially take over Terra Nova?” Reilly clarified. 

Michael gently nodded. 

The council were understandably horrified, and arguments starting perking up around the room.

“Why did you let him out, Shannon?” Durwin shouted. “He’s a traitor. He was back then, still is now.”

“He’s on our side now, Durwin,” Jim countered. “He’s relying on us just as much as we’re relying on him.”

“So what is the plan, Jim?” Malcolm spoke up, losing patience. Michael looked over at him. He looked a lot better than he did a couple of nights ago, unconscious under all that rubble. He still had a few cuts on his face, but otherwise he seemed fine.

“That depends, Malcolm. What’s the new timeframe for rebuilding the terminus?”

“You saw it,” Malcolm said, downcast. “It’s in pieces. I’m essentially at Square One again. Not to mention I don’t have my lab anymore.”

“I know, it’s a setback,” agreed Jim. “But this is the only play we have.”

“I volunteer to take Doctor Wallace out to Lucas’ calculations by Snakehead Falls...if that’s okay,” Michael offered. “It might help.”

The room was silent. Then Durwin scoffed.

“You’ve got to be kidding! Shannon - we can’t just let him back in like nothing happened!”

“How can I make up for what I’ve done if you won’t let me?” Michael snapped, losing his temper. 

A vein in Durwin’s temple bulged. “A real soldier would never betray his own people like you did.”

Michael wanted to get up and scream at him. It felt like being chastised by his father all over again. “You don’t know anything about me, the things I’ve had to sacrifice-”

“Don’t lecture me on sacrifice, kid. I served longer than you’ve been alive, right up until that damn Carno took my legs. I’ve known men and women that have sacrificed a lot more for a lot less. They knew about honour and loyalty. They would have never behaved like you have.” He narrowed his eyes at Michael. “You only got this gig ‘cause you’re the Commander’s son,” he spat.

Silence again as calm re-entered the room. Michael lowered his gaze to the table. Several pairs of eyes were staring at him, waiting for a reaction. But Michael nodded, looking back up at Durwin acceptingly. 

“Maybe you’re right. I was...immature,” he admitted. He began absent-mindedly running his fingernails over the grooves in the table. He sighed deeply. “I didn’t take my career seriously enough and I let myself get manipulated out of fear. I was a coward and I can only blame myself. Now I want to do right by my people. So please, tell me what to do.”

Jim cleared his throat, drawing the room’s attention back to him. “Right. I think that answers Durwin’s concerns.” He turned to Michael. “I think it’s not a bad idea, taking Malcolm out to see those calculations.” He turned back to the doctor. “If you think it will help, Malcolm?”

“It would help,” Malcolm agreed, but he seemed hesitant. “But Jim, I’m not sure if I can…”

“I think it would be beneficial for you to see the calculations in person, Malcolm. I’m asking you to go.”

Malcolm dropped his head in defeat, and nodded slowly.

“Hopefully that speeds up things with the terminus,” continued Jim. “We still need to stall them as much as possible. Michael needs to carry on as if nothing has changed with his mission, make it seem like he’s winning the colony over with this deal.”

“What about you?” Reilly asked Jim. “Aren’t you supposed to be dead?”

“If Jim’s dead, what’s stopping them from coming through that fracture in the Badlands at full force?” someone else at the back of the room questioned.

“That’s right,” Michael added. “They want you out of the way. Dead or not. They want Terra Nova to be leaderless.”

“Alright,” said Jim. “Here’s what you tell them.”

A few hours later and Michael was on a call to the future, sitting at his living room table, staring at Nichol’s holographic face frowning back at him. 

“The storm pretty much ruined everything. They’re weak,” he explained. “They’re starting to realise this deal is their only way out.”

“Perfect,” Nichol’s frown briefly turned up to a smile. “This means they should accept the next occupation a little more willingly. When they see they have no choice but to let us in, it will make things a hell of a lot easier. And what about Jim Shannon? Have you disposed of him yet?”

Michael swallowed, glancing at Jim who stood on the other side of the room, watching everything.

“No, but the Terra Novans aren’t exactly happy with his leadership. They don’t think he’s handled Taylor’s absence very well. Particularly after the storm. They blame him for not doing a better job of protecting them. And now he’s getting desperate, especially if he’s starting to trust me. There are definitely people that aren’t too pleased seeing me walking around.” 

“Well, it looks like things are going the way you wanted after all, Captain. No blood on your hands. Maybe we can do this peacefully after all.”

“When will you come?” Michael asked. “The colony’s still coming round to the idea but you plan to come soon, right? Through the Badlands portal?”

Her cold eyes bore into him, deliberating the question. After a moment, she clicked her tongue. “That’s on a need-to-know basis, Michael.”

“Well, I kind of need to know. I’m the one that’s here,” Michael argued.

“I’ll send a message when it’s time,” she snapped. “Call me again when Jim is out of the picture and the colony is ready for our arrival. Then I’ll inform you of the details.”

“Fine. Then at least tell me how my family are. How is my child?”

“He’s fine, Michael. You don’t need to worry. He’s not the only child here. We know how to take care of them.”

He ground his teeth together. “The way I didn’t have to worry about Alicia?”

He watched her roll her eyes to the side.

“Just tell me where she is.”

She huffed. “I can’t tell you that, Michael, because I don’t know. She ran. Your ridiculous brother managed to let her out.”

Michael wrinkled his nose. “He let her out?” Lucas hadn’t mentioned that on their last call. “Why would he do that?”

“Idiocy, perhaps? Cowardice? He could have alerted security, but didn’t. I’m honestly starting to reconsider which one of you is the smart one.” She chuckled. A sound which was all too unnatural for her. “I have to go.”

“Wait,” he almost yelled. “My dad. Just...tell me what you did with him. Are you going to kill him?”

“No.” Her red lips formed into a smirk. The sight made him uncomfortable. “We set him free.”

“What?” His brows knitted together in confusion. That made no sense. He locked eyes with Jim who looked equally as confused.

“We set him free, that’s all.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it. Simple really. There’s plenty of people who want his blood. They’ll do the hard work for us.”

Michael got to his feet, pushing his chair back. “He’s in the city? He’s alive?”

“I can only assume so. If the mob hasn’t got to him, but I’ll give him a little credit. He’ll survive at least the first few nights, I’m sure.”

Michael didn’t know what to say. He was in the city with a rebellion after him. But at least he had a fighting chance. He was alive. He knew it. 

“That’s all for now, Captain.” Nichol signed off. 

Jim and Michael stared at each other for a moment. 

“There’s a chance,” Michael said to him. “There’s a chance both he and Alicia are okay.”

“Michael, judging by what you told us about this rebellion, they’re just as dangerous as Nichol’s army. They want him dead.”

“He can survive,” Michael said. He believed it. His father could survive anything. 


	17. Chapter 17

Later that evening, Michael paid a visit to Boylan in the Infirmary. Doctor Shannon greeted him when he arrived and told him Tom had been awake, but a little confused and still very weak, so he may not respond much. It didn’t matter. Michael would just be glad to see him.

The old man had his eyes closed when Michael approached him. He looked a little better than earlier, but still deeply unwell. Michael took a seat beside him, unsure what to do, what to say. 

He settled on a simple greeting: “Hi Tom. How are you?”

“Mmm,” Boylan responded. Michael wasn’t sure if that was a response to his question or not. Michael decided to keep talking to him anyway.

“Will you promise me something, Tom? When you get better, you need to take better care of yourself, okay? Whatever it is, I’ll help you. We’ll go on a diet, we’ll exercise - get you back in shape! If you’re stressed, I don’t know, we’ll meditate or something.” He chuckled at the thought of the both of them sitting down with their legs crossed and eyes shut, muttering ‘ _ namaste’ _ under their breaths. He couldn’t imagine Boylan going for that, but if that’s what it took to keep him around, he’d  _ make  _ him do it. “Whatever it takes to keep you healthy.” He swallowed back the lump forming in his throat. “I can’t lose you as well, Tom. My family...I’ve lost them all. But you…” He wiped the moisture from his eyes. “You were always there for me. When my dad couldn’t be. Or when he treated me like an outsider. You were there, when everyone else turned against me.” He wiped the moisture from his eyes “You were more of a father to me than he’d been in a long, long time. I need you around. So just concentrate on getting better.”

He squeezed Boylan’s shoulder and lingered a moment longer before beginning to get to his feet.

Suddenly, Boylan’s hand grabbed Michael’s arm. Michael sat back down, stunned. He examined Boylan, who still seemed to be pretty out of it, eyes half closed as he turned his face to stare at Michael.

“Son?”

Boylan’s grip was surprisingly strong. He pulled Michael closer. Michael leaned over him, placing his own hand over Boylan’s.

“I’m sorry,” Boylan wept, tears leaking from his blurry eyes. “I’m so sorry, son. It’s my fault. It’s all my fault.” 

“What?” Michael said.

“I should’ve made sure you had it,” he blubbered. “That bloody mask. It was my job to keep you safe. I’m so...I’m sorry. Please. Please forgive me.” 

It didn’t take long to realise what he was talking about. Michael remembered a conversation with Boylan, long ago, about how his son died. Michael knelt beside him, took his hand and squeezed. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “I forgive you.”

Boylan, in his confused state, continued sobbing. “I miss you so much, Peter. My boy. I wish I’d been a better father.” 

Michael sniffed again, feeling Boylan’s pain as if it were his own. “You were the best father,” he said softly, squeezing his hand a little harder. He smiled. “The best.”

Another tear slid from Boylan’s drooping eyes, then he closed them fully. He was silent. Michael placed Boylan’s hand back on the bed and bid a silent goodbye. 

In Boylan’s hand, he had placed a rusty old coin. Peter’s coin. Boylan had once given it to him for good luck, now Michael was hoping that luck would help Boylan.

* * *

**2150**

The haze of the Chicago skyline was particularly thick tonight as Lucas stared out of EdenCorp’s window at the domes in the hazy distance. He wondered where his father was, if he was even still alive. But the Commander was a stubborn creature. He wouldn’t go down easy. Lucas was sure he was still out there, somewhere. Surviving. 

Maybe it was in some way a satisfying conclusion to his fantasy of revenge. After all this time detesting him and loathing how much people adored him and lapped up his leadership. It made his toes curl just thinking about it. They didn’t  _ know _ him. Not really. He wasn’t the brave soldier they all thought he was. And now they knew it! They hated him too. They were after his blood just as much as Lucas was. Was that not justice? Was that not revenge?

He still found it hard to be content with it. For one, he had no part in the plan. After months of being told he would get to determine the Commander’s fate, the decision was suddenly taken out of his hands entirely, with no warning. There was no finality to it. His father was just  _ gone _ .

And now there was no motivation to his work, maybe even his life. He started every day the same. He’d wake up alone. He’d eat alone. He’d work alone. He’d go to bed alone. And repeat. Nichol had given him a list of things to do as long as his arm, but he had long lost his incentive. 

The only slither of enjoyment he got was when he visited his nephew in the evenings, after the nurse had finished feeding him. He would try to find new and interesting things to show the boy, to make him smile. Today it was an old book on Quantum Theory . Not the most exciting thing for a six-month old, but it was one of the few materials Lucas had access to, especially since he had broken his Plex. He sat next to the baby’s cot and showed him the old, tattered book. The infant's wide eyes glimmered with amusement, little spit bubbles forming around his lips. Lucas still felt a little strange around the kid, but he knew him well enough by now to know that he could be listening to a bus timetable and still be entertained. Children were such odd creatures. 

As he read random passages from the book, he noticed a little head pop up from the glass window opposite.  _ Great. _ He slammed the book shut. 

“What do you want, Sienna?” he sighed with annoyance.

The head bobbed back down, then a few seconds later Sienna appeared by the door. “I just wanted to see William.”

“Will you stop calling him William? That’s not his name,” Lucas grumbled.

“We have to call him something! We can’t just call him ‘the baby’ all the time!” 

“Don’t you have some drawing to do?”

Sienna shook her head. “Nope. I finished. Look, it’s me and mommy.” She raised her drawing for Lucas to see. It was indeed a crayon drawing of her and Mira surrounded by green forest. “We’re in Terra Nova together.”

Lucas rolled his eyes. “You don’t believe they’ll actually let you go to Terra Nova?”

She pouted. “Why not? I’ve been good. I did everything they wanted, and I’m sure mommy did too. They promised.”

“Yeah, well, when you’re older, you’ll find adults aren’t very good at keeping promises. Especially Miranda Nichol.” 

“Did she promise you could go back to Terra Nova too?” Sienna asked, coming closer to Lucas.

“No,” he muttered. “I’d rather die than go back there.”

“Why?”

“It’s complicated. I spent a lot of unhappy years there. There’s nothing there for me.”

Her small brows pinched together. “Nothing at all?”

He glared at her, but Sienna took this to mean he didn’t hear her properly.

“Nothing?” she repeated. “There can’t be nothing.”

Lucas stared at her, too exhausted to be agitated by her presence anymore. He sighed. “Maybe one thing.”

“I knew it!” she grinned. “What is it? A person?”

Lucas sat back in his chair, picturing the face of the only person who made him feel something other than hurt and anger. “A girl.”

Sienna’s face lit up. “You love her?”

Lucas scoffed. “Don’t be absurd. Love is for kids.”

Now she was confused. “Does she not love you?”

“Definitely not.”

“Why not?”

“I was cruel to her.” He looked down at his hands, thinking about Skye, the horrible things he said and did to her. She made things... _ difficult _ for him. He could still feel her warm lips crushing against his, her small frame leaning up into him, holding him. He’d never felt anything like it before. He wanted to keep touching her, keep kissing her, and more...but it wasn’t real. Not for her. And why would it be, after what he had done? At the time he didn’t care  _ why  _ she had done it. He’d been thinking with a different part of his anatomy. But now his feelings were stronger, more complex, and he felt something akin to guilt. He didn’t really know love, but he did feel an aching thirst - an anguished sense of longing when he thought about her. Maybe that was love, or something just as terrible. 

“Why were you cruel to her?” Sienna questioned.

“Because I wanted her to be afraid of me.”

“Why?” she said again.

“Don’t you get it by now?” he snapped. “I’m not a good person. There’s not a single soul out there who cares about me, nor I them. So just...shut up and leave me alone.”

“That’s not true,” Sienna argued. “You care about William. You visit him every day, you read to him. He’s your family.”

Lucas looked over at the baby. The young boy responded by putting his fist in his mouth. It was true. Lucas did care for him. He had already admitted as much. Was this the familial love he should have felt with his father or brother? Was it the same love he felt for his mother? Maybe. 

The edge of Lucas’ mouth turned up in a small smile. William. It did sort of suit him.

“Can I hold him?” Sienna asked.

Lucas raised an eyebrow. “You want to hold him?”

“Yeah. Can I?”

He sighed again, visibly annoyed. But then he got to his feet and looked out of the door, making sure no soldiers were passing by. “Fine. Quickly.”

He went over to the cot and scooped the baby up with both arms. Remembering what the nurse had instructed him to do, he echoed those directions to Sienna. He still felt nervous handling him. He wasn’t used to being gentle or careful, particularly with other people, but he was slowly getting the hang of it. 

He carefully placed the tiny human in Sienna’s open arms. She smiled widely as William’s large green eyes focused on her and he giggled. “He’s so heavy! And cute!” 

Lucas stood back and, to his own bewilderment, found himself smiling too. “That’s actually not bad, kid.”

“Do you think he misses his mommy and daddy?”

The smile faded slightly. “I don’t know,” he admitted.

“It’s sad Captain Taylor had to go. I miss him sometimes. Do you miss him too?” she asked Lucas, a sad smile on her lips.

Lucas paused for a moment. He nodded gently. He did miss Michael. Truthfully, when his brother chose him over their father, it was the happiest he had been in years.  _ Finally _ . Michael saw the Commander’s true colours and rejected him like Lucas did long ago. They were reunited at long last. 

Of course, their several months at EdenCorp hadn’t been smooth sailing. Michael was confused. Bitter. He blamed Lucas for hurting Wash, for bringing her here and for him being forced to serve with the Phoenix Group army. The first few months of their return to the future involved many heated arguments. Then the silent treatment. Then eventually, acceptance. They were both under the control of EdenCorp and they had no one except each other. Michael realised that eventually. They would talk long into the night sometimes, watching the city spiral into chaos from the safety of EdenCorp’s walls. Lucas knew he would never win Michael over completely - too much damage had been done - but those brief few months where he had his brother back had been the best in a long time. 

Now he wondered if he would ever see him again.

* * *

**Terra Nova**

Staring into his bedroom mirror, Michael’s eyes traced the old Terra Novan uniform that now hugged his body. It felt like an eternity since he last wore it, but seeing himself standing there in his old gear reinvigorated that sense of pride he used to feel as a corporal in the security team. It looked good. And it felt good too. 

“Welcome back, Corporal Taylor,” greeted Jim as Michael met him by the rover. “Uniform still fits, I see.”

“Just as it should,” Michael replied, smiling. “This is the only uniform I want to wear.”

“Glad to hear it.”

Malcolm appeared behind Jim, plex in hand. 

“Are you ready, Doctor Wallace?” Michael asked.

Malcolm nodded hesitantly. Sensing this, Michael tried to reassure him.

“Don’t worry, you can trust me…” He stepped closer. “You know me. I’m not Lucas,” he said softly, remembering how violently Lucas’ men had treated Malcolm’s team during the occupation.

“That’s right,” another voice interrupted. Corporal Reynolds appeared beside Malcolm, limping. “He’s got nothing to worry about. I’ll make sure of it.”

Michael tried to avoid audibly groaning. Reynolds was coming? 

“I asked Reynolds,” Jim said, as if reading Michael’s mind. “Probably safer with three of you, especially knowing what’s out there.”

“How’s the leg?” Michael asked dryly, surprised he’d been sent out on a mission so soon after his injury.

“It’s pretty good actually.” Reynolds offered him a tight smile. “Thanks for asking.”

Michael didn’t reply. Instead, he got in the rover. “I’ll drive,” he announced. Malcolm joined him in the passenger seat and Reynolds got in the back. This was going to be a long day.

After a few minutes of driving, Michael noticed how irritable Malcolm looked. He was tense, shoulders hunched together, and he was nervously tapping his fingers against the screen of his plex. Glancing over at the scientist, he even seemed to be sweating.

“Doctor Wallace? Are you feeling okay?”

“Yes, fine. Fine,” he said unconvincingly. “I hope these calculations your brother left are of use, Corporal Taylor. I’d hate to think I came all the way out here for nothing.”

“I don’t understand them,” admitted Michael, watching the dirt road ahead of him. “But I remember them being quite elaborate. I thought we could check out the old Sixer camp too. That’s where he finished the equations, maybe he left something back there?”

Malcolm looked alarmed. He scratched anxiously at his fair beard. “That wasn’t the plan.”

“But it would be helpful?”

Malcolm’s fists clenched. Michael didn’t understand what the big deal was.

“Let’s just get to the falls,” Reynolds said from behind them. “Maybe we’ll find what we need there and won’t need to bother with the camp.”

“Fine.” Michael put his foot down on the accelerator as they drove deeper into the jungle. 

It didn’t take too long to get there. Michael parked at the bottom of the falls, as close as he could get to the stream. He smiled as he got out the vehicle and watched the beautiful blue water flow and glimmer in the sunlight. He had lots of memories here. He remembered the first time he had found Lucas’ drawings, one day on patrol with Alicia. He had been such a child back then, running off to jump in the stream, flirting relentlessly. Of course Alicia didn’t join him. Did he really expect her to? He cringed at his past self. He had no idea what the future was going to bring back then.

In later years, he came here with Skye, despite the area being made off limits due to Lucas’ scribbles. He remembered her adventurous spirit convincing him to jump off the falls with her, the first crazy, exciting thing either of them had done in ages. He also remembered that clumsy, awkward kiss shortly afterwards, where he realised he was more than just a friend in her eyes. And that led to him revealing his love for Alicia. Skye, the first person he ever told. 

The slamming shut of the rover door caused him to jump out his thoughts. Malcolm had his plex under one arm and a small camera device in his hands.

“Right. Show me where these calculations are. Let’s make this quick.”

Michael showed him the diagrams on the rock by the stream, then pointed out the others on the cliff wall. Malcolm began writing notes and taking photographs, uttering a “hmm” or “interesting” every now and then.

Michael let him do his thing and joined Reynolds by the rover. “He’s not as confident as I remember,” he speculated to his companion. “And god knows he wasn’t that chilled out to begin with.”

Mark rested his hand on his rifle, watching Malcolm work with a hint of concern in his eye. “Yeah. Well, you’re not the only one who went through hell this past year.”

It had to be something to do with the dino attack in the Badlands, Michael surmised. The guy had seen two of his team members torn apart by that monster. That would definitely lead to some anxiety. But then he remembered something Jim said about something happening after that.

“It wasn’t just the initial attack in the Badlands,” Mark said, answering his unspoken thoughts. “Things were quiet for a while. Then Doctor Wallace went missing. We couldn’t find him anywhere. Then five days later, he turns up outside the gates, beaten and disorientated. The Sixers and The Phoenix Group - or whatever’s left of them - they tortured him, trying to get him to fix the portal. Of course, he couldn’t. But it took them a while to figure that out.”

Michael looked over at Malcolm, jaw hanging open. “Poor guy. And they just let him go?”

“I guess. He doesn’t like talking about it. But ever since then, he doesn’t like going OTG.”

_ Jeez.  _ Suddenly Michael realised what a big deal it was that Malcolm had agreed to come out with them today. He knew what it was like to suffer trauma, and it sounded like what Malcolm went through was pretty extreme. No wonder he was acting so nervous.

Mark cleared his throat, becoming even more serious - if that were even possible. “I wanted to talk to you.”

Michael took in a deep breath. Here we go. More threats and pleas about exposing his deep, dark secret.

“Thank you.”

Michael raised an eyebrow. “Come again?”

“Thank you for saving mine and Maddy’s lives. We meant what we said at the engagement party. We might not be here if it wasn’t for you. But I need to know where I stand with you. You know the truth about me and Maddy can’t. Nobody can. Are you going to tell her?”

Michael sighed deeply. “Mark, I don’t think I’ll have to.”

“What do you mean?”

“The truth tends to expose itself after some time. Take me for an example. I had plenty of secrets. The truth about what happened with my brother, my relationship with Wash, my deal with The Sixers. That all came out eventually. And I paid the price for it, remember?”

Mark looked embarrassed, probably remembering his men’s conduct again when Michael was exposed as working with the Sixers. Maybe he was hoping a similar thing wouldn’t happen to him.

“I won’t tell anyone,” Michael reassured. “But I meant what I said before. They don’t just let people go. Even The Sixers aren’t free of them, not really. They’re not done with you.”

“Alright!” Malcolm called, interrupting the two corporals. “I have it. I have it all, and I think it will be useful.” He hurried over to them, busily typing onto his Plex. “Thank you, Corporal Taylor. We might have a chance at rebuilding this wretched thing. Although the drawings are so articulate, only a madman would spend so much time scratching these onto rocks of all things!”

“Well, he had plenty of time out here,” Michael reminded him. “And he  _ was _ mad.”

“Yes, well, mad or not - he was clever enough to figure this out,” muttered the doctor.

“Do you have enough data, Doctor Wallace?” Reynolds asked. “Is it worth visiting the old Sixer camp?”

“Well, there’s no such thing as too much data,” admitted Malcolm. “If there’s more that will help, it could save a lot more time. It’s just…”

He cut off there. Embarrassed or ashamed. Michael watched the man’s expression fall, his eyes swimming with panic.

“It’s okay,” Michael said sympathetically, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll look. You can stay in the rover. Would that be okay? I’ll let Jim know we’re going.”

Malcolm sighed, then nodded. The three of them returned to the rover. It wasn’t a long drive, eventually the sun ducked behind the canopy of the forest, leaving them to journey in the shadows. 

Gradually, they reached the camp. From below it looked like nothing much. You might not have even known there was a camp here, unless you looked up. As they got out the vehicle, Michael’s eyes were drawn up to the treetops. The elaborate treehouse was still secured high above. 

Michael never expected to see himself here again. He had spent so long trying to escape. He thought he’d finally put this place behind him. Now he was back, greeted by emptiness. There were no Sixers to be seen; no Mira or her lackies.

“How are you going to get up there?” Malcom asked, observing the height of the Sixer base. 

“They had some kind of pulley system. Hang on.” Michael got out the rover and walked over to where the rope used to hang. Usually someone from above would have pulled him up, but now he supposed he would have to do it himself. He took the rope and tied a loop to put his foot into. The pulley rope swung next to him. 

“Looks a bit dangerous,” Mark noted as he and Malcolm looked up at how high he had to go. “Hope you’re feeling strong.”

“We’ll see,” Michael smirked. He grabbed the rope and pulled. The muscles in his arms tensed and strained with the feeling of his whole weight. But he kept pulling, gradually hoisting himself up higher and higher. Wheezing with exhaustion, he made it to the top and leapt up onto the wooden canopy. 

He looked over the edge, panting and raising his hands in celebration as Mark and Malcolm squinted upwards. 

“Anything up there?” yelled Reynolds, unimpressed.

Michael’s hands dropped back to his sides. Back to work. He looked around him. It was like the place was frozen in time. A lot of stuff still remained: old clothes and random junk, spare rope, half-melted candles, old books and bottles. Nothing useful or interesting. They obviously only took what they thought they would need. He walked further, the floor creaking beneath him, and he saw the tent where he had first reunited with Lucas.

He still remembered the utter shock and horror upon seeing the state of his twin brother after five long years. That was the moment he realised Lucas had truly lost it. He shuddered, remembering Lucas’ manic speech of revenge and hate. Right before he knocked him out and ran off to the future. Obviously, things only got worse after that.

He swallowed the ache in the back of his throat and entered the tent. Most of the posters had been torn down, the many notes and drawings previously scattered about the desk had clearly been picked up in haste. There were a few scribbles left, though it was hard to say how useful they actually were. Michael picked them up and shoved them in his pocket just in case.

With one last lingering look around the tent, Michael headed - happily - for the exit. He was about to call down to the others when he heard a splutter behind him.

“Wh-”

Suddenly, a figure launched at him. Female, slim, agile. And  _ strong _ . Michael’s brain tried to process what was happening as he was thrown to the floor. His instinct was to take hold of her shoulders and push her back.

It was then Michael saw the woman was Mira. She looked terrible. Rabid, bruised and bloody. Her eyes were wild and desperate. She had a knife in her hand. As she swung at him with the weapon, he swiftly grabbed hold of her wrist and squeezed -  _ hard _ . Her whole arm trembled, tears streaming from her dark eyes. She couldn’t withstand the pain anymore. She let go of the knife, letting it fly off the side of the canopy, narrowly missing Mark who shielded Malcolm from harm.

Taking advantage of this brief respite, Michael managed to push Mira away and roll her over. Now he was over her, pushing back her frantic arms as they tried to claw at him. 

“Mira, stop!” he yelled at her.

She started to kick beneath him. He used all his weight to push her legs down.

“Calm down!”

After a few seconds, she slowed her movements, letting out a cry and a few exasperated breaths. She looked around her fearfully. Then she focused on Michael above her, as if finally realising it was him.

“Michael,” she said in between breaths. “You need to help him.”

Michael softened, releasing his hold on her slightly. “Help who?” 

She looked over on the other side of the tent. He followed her gaze. Another figure emerged, just as worn and beaten as her. He stepped closer, wobbling, spluttering. As he entered the light, Michael recognised the figure was Carter. 

He looked in worse condition than Mira. He took another step, coughed, and then his knees buckled beneath him. 


	18. Chapter 18

“What do you reckon, Doc?” Michael asked Malcolm as the scientist examined Carter who was now laid out groggily where Deborah used to sleep, back when Mira kept her as prisoner.

“You’d be better off asking Elisabeth, but to me it looks like he’s been poisoned. They both have.”

Malcolm glared at Mira, making a point to remove himself from her vicinity. 

Mira didn’t even notice. She sat beside Carter, watching him with concern. “He can’t die,” she whispered. “God knows he’s a pain in my ass but he’s all I’ve had these past few months.”

Michael stared at them, his confusion growing. “Mira, what the hell happened to you? Where are the rest of your people?” 

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” she spat, returning her attention to her Sixer ally. 

“Try us,” Mark replied. “We’re pretty open-minded lately.”

Mira sat back. She suddenly looked so small, with her knees pressed up against her chest, almost like a child. 

“That  _ thing  _ that killed my people…have you seen it?”

Michael nodded solemnly. “I have.”

“Then you know it’s not any ordinary dino. It’s smart. It  _ knows _ things. It can  _ do _ things.” She bore her teeth like a wild animal, her eyes brimming with moisture. “We knew about the Badlands portal. As soon as we found that damn figurehead I knew that’s where it had to be. But it was too late. That thing attacked before we even had a chance to find it.” She looked off into the distance. “I’ve never seen so many people die that quickly before.” She furiously wiped a tear from her eye. “Some of us made it out alive. We survived. But we spent months living in fear, trying to figure out how to get back to the future. We thought our best chance was to stay in the Badlands, in case the portal opened again. But it never did. Food got harder to find. Morale got low. We got desperate and, well, Doctor Wallace knows what happened next.”

Michael looked over at Malcolm who lowered his head and his gaze to the floor. 

“After that...what happened?” Michael pressed.

“There was this Phoenix Group asshat. Hooper. He fancied himself the new leader of our band of outcasts. If one of us disagreed with his methods or stepped out of line, we were out. If he didn’t kill us first...We butted heads a lot. But he kept me around - he needed me. Those idiot soldiers don’t know the first thing about the wildlife here. That’s why most of them died. The ones that are left are only alive because of me.”

“So what changed?” questioned Mark. “Why did you leave?”

“Hooper’s a nasty piece of work. He doesn’t care about anyone else. He only cares about his own survival. That and money. So he came up with this harebrained scheme to bring the dinosaur to his employers, so they can weaponize it.”

Mark and Michael both looked at each other. 

“How the hell is he gonna do that?” asked Mark sceptically. “He doesn’t even have contact with the future.”

“That’s what I said,” replied Mira. “Any means we had to contact the future got lost or destroyed. But he’s determined to find a way. Even if it means coming back to the colony.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Malcolm said, arms crossed over his chest. 

“That’s when me, Carter, and a few others broke away. Seeing what that thing can do...I wanted no part in it. But by then we started getting sick. The others, they didn’t last. But me and Carter, we decided to come back here where we’d be safe.”

“You don’t know what caused the sickness?” asked Malcolm. He seemed to be paying more attention to Mira now.

“Yeah. I think that thing did it.”

Malcolm uncrossed his arms, giving Mira an incredulous look. “You can’t seriously be suggesting that creature  _ poisoned _ you  _ on purpose _ ?”

“It did a lot more than that. It  _ tormented _ us.” She got to her feet. “It knows how we think, how to manipulate us.”

Malcolm scoffed. “It’s unique to its kind, I’ll give you that. But it’s not  _ that _ clever.”

“No? You were there when it started, weren’t you, Malcolm? After it killed my people and you set up your camp, it left you alone for weeks. It did that so you’d feel safe. So you’d bring more people. And then it attacked, didn’t it?”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” argued Malcolm. “Most animals attack to defend themselves or their territory. Why would it want to lure more people to it?”

“Because it  _ likes _ to kill. That’s what makes it the perfect weapon.”

“I’ve heard enough.” Malcolm tapped Michael on the shoulder. “We should get back to the colony. We need to warn Jim if this Hooper chap’s going to be paying us a visit.”

“What about us?” Mira demanded, looking back at the defenceless Carter. He was shivering. “You can’t just leave us!”

“You’re traitors,” snapped Malcolm, emotion getting the better of him. “You invaded the colony, you tried to kill Taylor,  _ and _ you tortured me for days on end for no good reason!”

“Okay, Malcolm.” Michael took him over to the side and spoke softly to him. “I know what they’ve done is terrible, but she’s right, we can’t leave them. At least if we bring them back, we can keep an eye on them. They could help us.”

“It would be a waste of medical supplies,” Malcolm hissed. 

“You don’t mean that…”

“You don’t know what they did to me. What it was like.” He went quiet again, hunching his shoulders, putting his fingers nervously to his lips.Then, he closed his eyes and sighed deeply. “Alright. Do what you want. I just want to get back to work.”

Malcolm headed back towards the rope, done with the conversation. Sighing, Michael looked at Reynolds, then they both took an arm of Carter’s and dragged him towards the rope where they helped him down. Mira followed silently.

They were back at Terra Nova before sundown. Jim was surprised to see the two Sixers accompanying them. He sent them directly to the Infirmary under armed supervision. He would talk to them later. He instantly turned to Michael and Reynolds for some form of explanation. 

“We’ve got a problem,” Michael said bluntly.

* * *

After a debrief with Jim, Michael was actually relieved to return to his home. He took off his combat jacket, leaving him in his more comfortable t-shirt, and poured himself a glass of water from the sink. Mira and Carter would be safe in the Infirmary for now. Then Michael wasn’t sure what would happen to them. He expected Jim would have a long talk with them in the morning when they were feeling better. 

It did feel good to be on the right side again; a Terra Novan soldier. He’d rather that any day than a Phoenix Group Officer, wearing a rank he didn’t earn to do the bidding of people he didn’t respect. Now he was home and doing the right thing. 

Maybe that’s why he hadn’t seen his imaginary Alicia lately. He was sure she must have been his conscience, telling him what he had to do, pushing him to be the person he should have been from the start. He hoped he would have made her proud. Whether he was crazy or not, he did kind of hope she would turn up again, just so he could see her. 

Lingering by his bedroom door, his eyes were drawn to the space underneath the bed where he had hidden the communication device. He was overcome with the urge to call them. He just wanted to know what was happening. Had they found Alicia? Was his dad still alive? How was his son? When were they coming to Terra Nova?

But it would be a waste of time. They wouldn’t tell him anything. He just had to be patient. 

He was just about to go through the rations in his fridge when he noticed his front door was open. That was funny, he was sure he closed it. He placed his glass on the counter, then walked over to the door, musing for a second before shutting it.

He sensed the figure behind him before he had even shut the door. 

He wasn’t alone.

Slowly, he turned around.

Tasha Guzman stood in front of him, crying. In her hand was a pistol, and Michael was looking down the barrel of it. Confusion overwhelmed him at first. He knew Tasha wasn’t too fond of him ever since her father had died in the initial occupation, and that she had been pushed to stealing from the market. He knew she was desperate, but this desperate? What did she want out of this?

“Tasha,” he said softly, putting a defensive hand out. “Can you put the gun down? Please?”

A tear ran down her cheek. “He’s dead because of you. You were working for  _ them. _ You let them walk in here and ruin everything! He’s gone because of you!”

Michael’s heart sank. She was still in so much pain. He still remembered breaking the news to her, after the battle, how she had crumpled to the floor and sobbed her heart out. Indirectly or not, he still felt responsible for Guzman’s death. Michael’s own eyes flashed with the emotion of that day.

“I’m sorry,” he admitted miserably. “I should have stopped all of it somehow. I could have. But I failed. I failed you, Tasha. I’m so, so sorry.”

“Sorry doesn’t change anything!” she cried. “You betrayed us, you betrayed HIM and you’re still doing it! I saw you bring those Sixers back today. You say you’re on our side but you’re not, you’re a liar, you’re still lying!”

Michael shook his head. She didn’t understand. She didn’t want to understand. Her world was over as far as she was concerned. Why else would she come here to kill him? She no longer cared what happened to her.

Her face crumpled and more tears spilled from her brimming eyes. “He was all I had. Now I have no one. No one!”

“That’s not true!” Michael heard Skye’s voice yell out behind him. She had crept in through the front door too, just in time to rescue him. “You have me and you have my mom, and the guys too.” She slowly edged herself towards Tasha. Michael tried to pull her back but she gently shook him off, eyes large and solemn as she stared up at him. “It’s okay, Michael.” 

Tasha watched tearfully as Skye came closer.

“I found your goodbye note,” continued Skye. “Is this all me and my mom get for taking care of you all this time?”

Tasha scoffed. “I don’t belong with you guys. My family is gone. I didn’t want to be a burden anymore. I just want the pain to stop!”

“And you think hurting Michael will help? Tasha, trust me, it won’t help. It’s not gonna bring your dad back.”

Tasha’s arm was shaking. She swiped at her wet face with her other arm. “I have to do something. I can’t stand it, Skye.”

“I know. I felt that way too. But you know how I got through it? With help from my friends. Friends like you and Michael.” She smiled back at Michael sadly before returning her attention to Tasha. She was edging closer still.

“And you’re wrong. You do belong with me, because you’re my family. And I’ll take care of you for as long as you need. Okay? You don’t need to do this.”

Tasha’s whole body seemed to tremble. She dropped the gun, then sank to her knees where Skye caught her and held her tightly. She picked up the gun and gave it to Michael who now had a chance to catch his breath. He watched as Skye comforted her friend, guilt and hopelessness washing over him. 

“I just miss him,” Tasha sobbed. “I miss him so much.”

“I know,” said Skye, hugging the girl close. “I know.”

Twenty minutes later and Michael was in Skye’s house, waiting outside Tasha’s room as Skye settled her. She emerged from the room after a few moments, quietly closing the door.

“She’s okay. She’s sleeping. Mom is too so don’t be too loud, okay?”

Michael nodded. They both headed over to the dining table where they took a seat. Michael sat back, running both hands through his hair and sighing heavily. “Wow,” he said. “I didn’t realise she was still carrying this around with her.”

“I know.” Skye looked back towards Tasha’s door guiltily. “I should have seen it. I’ve been through it, I should have seen the signs...She  _ has _ been acting out lately.”

“I’m sure you and Deborah have done all you can for her. Some wounds just need time to heal. It just...reopened some of mine.”

She put her hand over his. “Hey. I’m sick of everyone blaming each other for our loved ones getting hurt. We need to take better care of each other while we’re still alive.”

He smiled at her. He couldn’t help but feel most of the colony’s problems could have been solved if people could do just that. “You’re right. I try not to dwell on the past but, well, I am an expert at it.”

They both chuckled. 

“Everything will be alright,” she said softly. “We’ll figure this all out. We’ll get your family back. It’ll be okay.” She squeezed his hand.

“Thanks,” he replied. He didn’t know if it was true, but right then he believed it. He sat back and smiled at her, impressed by how much she had grown and matured. Sometimes it felt like she was the older one, with her soothing words and calm advice. She had been a good friend throughout the years.

“I’ll keep an eye on her,” Skye added, nodding towards Tasha’s door again. “She’ll be okay. With time.”

Michael smiled at her, getting up to kiss her cheek before leaving. “Night.”

* * *

**2150**

“I spy with my little eye, something beginning with...G!”

“Is it G for  _ Get the hell out my lab _ ?” Lucas offered humorlessly, typing away at the computer keyboard on his desk while Sienna sat on the lab floor, her efforts at getting him to play fast becoming futile. 

“No,” she laughed. “Try again.”

“I’m a little busy, Sienna. I need to make sure everything’s working perfectly for when Michael comes back.”

She nearly jumped to her feet. “Captain Taylor’s coming back?”

He rubbed his temple with his fingertips. “I don’t know.”

“But you just said…”

“I know what I said. Isn’t someone supposed to be looking after you?”

As if on queue, Private Brandt came jogging into the room. “Sienna. How many times do I have to tell you to stay put? It’s way past your bedtime!” 

“Can you take her away please? I’m trying to do some actual work here,” snapped Lucas, waving the two out of the lab.

Brandt rolled her eyes, then grabbed Sienna, who frowned and dragged her heels. 

“I don’t want to go back to my room,” she cried. “It’s small and boring.”

“I know but Ms Nichol wants you to stay there.”

“I want my mommy.”

“I know, I know.”

Lucas slammed his fist down on the desk, causing Brandt and Sienna to stare. A second later, an alarm in the lab started beeping frantically. Lucas got to his feet, eyes suddenly wide with shock.

“What the hell is that?” Brandt shouted over the loud noise. Sienna had her hands over her ears, nose wrinkled.

Lucas went over to another computer and started hitting buttons. A screen pulled up. He stood back, pushing back his tousled hair. He couldn’t believe it. After all these months of waiting, it had finally happened. It was finally back.

“That means there’s portal activity in the city,” he explained. “The fracture is open again, here in Chicago.”

Brandt blinked at him. Sienna still looked pained.

“You’re going to want to get Miranda Nichol in here. _ Now _ .”


	19. Chapter 19

**Terra Nova**

Michael squinted at the morning sun as he waited outside the Command Centre for Sergeant Reilly to join him. Jim had given him the task of helping Reilly re-train some of the soldiers. Given that he had seen battle most recently, and he was the most informed on the enemy’s tactics, Jim decided that he would be a good choice to assist Reilly in getting the soldiers prepared for whatever was coming next. Most of the lower ranks had joined him already, as well as a few new recruits who had volunteered to help. They would need the most training, but the colony needed whatever help they could get at the moment. 

Eventually, Michael spotted Reilly walking towards them with Nurse Ogawa. They stopped outside the Infirmary where Reilly gave the nurse a kiss goodbye. Michael raised an eyebrow and smiled at Reilly as she joined them.

“Better late than never, Sarge,” he teased. He lowered his voice: “And how long has that been going on?” He looked back towards the Infirmary where Nurse Ogawa must have started her shift. 

Reilly glared at him. “None of your business, Corporal. Let’s get to work, shall we? We have a lot to get through.”

She started to address the crowd before her, giving them a run down of the day’s training programme. Michael sighed. There was a time when he and Reilly could joke around about stuff like that, but not anymore. He could tell from her hostility since he’d got back that she still had issues trusting him. That was fair enough. 

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Reilly clapped her hands together, beginning to lead the group OTG. He began to follow them when he realised Skye was in the crowd. 

“Squirt? What are you doing here?”

“I volunteered,” she smiled. “I want to help.”

“Are you sure? You know how dangerous this is going to be?”

“Michael, I’m not a kid anymore. Mr Shannon said it was okay. Besides, it’s not like I’m going to be on the front line after one day of training.”

He sighed. The sight of her in uniform made her look so grown up. “You remind me of your dad,” he said. He smiled slightly.

She mirrored his smile. “Thanks. No bucket this time. It’s the real deal.”

He chuckled, remembering the stories she told him of a miniature Skye, wearing a bucket on her head to look like her military father. It certainly was the real deal now. This was clearly something she wanted and Michael wasn’t about to talk her out of it, so he held a hand out as an ‘ _ after you _ ’ gesture and she followed the rest of the group towards the gates.

Michael looked back towards the Infirmary before he left, knowing that Mira and Carter were still inside, waiting for Jim, if not already being interrogated by him.

* * *

The day was going pretty well. Everyone seemed eager to learn, and Reilly was a good teacher. Not as good as Guzman or Wash were, but she was close behind. Michael could understand why she had been promoted. She had done a lot of amazing things since the occupation.

They took breaks between training segments to reflect and talk about what they were learning. Michael used these moments to divulge what he knew about his former comrades. He explained that the Phoenix Group army were taught to follow the orders of their command, no matter what. They were only loyal to the highest bidder and they were taught not to feel empathy for the people they were inflicting pain on. He also explained that the current army was largely made up of volunteers who were rushed through training and only joined because they felt they had no other choice. They weren’t all bad people. He knew this, thinking about Gus. They weren’t all like the army they had fought in the last battle.

The group listened intently. Most of them were young men and women who had served as Privates and Corporals throughout their posting at Terra Nova. Luckily, they seemed to trust Michael and his military knowledge. Perhaps they had realised his insight could be valuable to the next fight. Michael was just happy they were listening.

“What kind of things did they make you do?” one of the men asked him curiously.

Michael’s whole expression dropped. He swallowed hard. After a long beat of silence, he finally looked up: “Terrible things. To defenceless people. They didn’t care about the people we were hurting, or their own soldiers. They would have sent their men into an ambush if it meant getting their next paycheck. It didn’t matter to them who got hurt in the process.”

Michael kept thinking about the things he had done, the people he had hurt, most of whom hadn’t deserved it. He didn’t even notice when the rest period had ended and they had begun training again. 

That afternoon, they covered survival and fitness training, as well as hand-to-hand combat. Michael had been pretty impressed so far, particularly by Skye who did not let her petite stature and inexperience hinder her. She even managed to get one of her fellow comrades down on the floor during the combat segment, which shocked even her. She was much stronger than she gave herself credit for, Michael thought. Things changed when they moved onto weapons training.

They were each given a pistol to shoot at a target. Reilly instructed how to hold the weapon, as well as breathing and aiming techniques in order to get a good shot.

Each soldier took it in turns to shoot a piece of wood with a dot on it. Most did well, others not so much. When it was Skye’s turn, Michael noticed her holding the gun rather awkwardly. She was pointing it at the target but her mind seemed elsewhere. Her blue eyes were wide and panicked, her hand trembling. She was breathing heavily. Michael recognised that look. It was the same look on Malcolm’s face at the Sixer camp, the same look that must be on his own face half the time. Skye dropped the gun.

“I’m sorry,” she said, blushing. “I can’t. I’m so sorry.” 

“It’s okay,” Reilly said. “We can try again tomorrow. In fact, I’ll meet you all again tomorrow for more training. 0700 hours. Okay?”

“Yes ma’am,” the soldiers mumbled, making their way back towards the colony. 

Reilly looked over at Michael who shot her an ‘ _ I’ve got this’ _ look. She headed off towards the colony as he picked up the gun at Skye’s feet.

“What’s going on, Skye?” he asked her. Her eyes were filled with tears, her cheeks red with embarrassment.

“I’m so sorry, I just freaked. The last time I fired a gun…” she swallowed back her tears. Michael knew what she meant. The last time she fired a gun she nearly killed Lucas. The memories of that day clearly still affected her.

“Skye, it’s okay. Lucas is okay. He’s alive.”

“I know, it’s just...For so long I couldn’t stop thinking about it. About him. I never wanted to hurt him or you.” A tear streamed down her cheek. “I’m sorry, I just don’t think I can do this.”

“It’s fine. You don’t have to.” He placed a hand on her back and led her back towards the colony. “You know if you’re still experiencing any anxiety about anything you can talk to me, right? Just don’t keep it bottled up.”

She sniffed. “Did that help  _ you _ ?”

He went quiet. He realised he had been given the same exact advice and he had decided to ignore it. He knew now that it wasn’t healthy, judging by Malcolm’s reaction to the outside. It was more debilitating than he thought and it was only going to get worse.

That’s what led him to the Shannon household that evening. Elisabeth answered the door, surprised to see him. 

“Doctor Shannon. I know you’re off shift and that this isn’t quite what you meant by talking to someone, but do you mind if I talk to you?”

She smiled sympathetically, then opened the door a little wider. 

They sat in the living room. She told him Zoe was sleeping and the other kids were out, so he could talk freely. So he told her everything. The quick version, but still everything. No doubt she knew most of it anyway.

He told her about how his mother died, about Lucas’ scheming, about killing Philbrick. He told her how he fell in love with Alicia and how her illness had led him to working with the Sixers. He told her about how his father’s lack of trust in him pushed him to take Lucas’ side. He told her about the future and Miranda Nichol and how he had been forced to join the Phoenix Group to fight the Chicago Resistance. He told her some of the awful things he had done for them. He told her about Gus’ death and all the other countless deaths he had caused. 

“So many people are dead because of me,” he admitted as Elisabeth listened intently. “Men, women... _ even children _ …” He leaned forward in his seat, hugging himself, remembering. He could see all of their faces, hear all of their screaming, like it was happening right now. He was powerless to stop it.

Michael buried his face in his hands, letting the tears stream from his eyes. He hadn’t let it all out like this in a long time. It was a relief to say it all out loud - to tell the truth. Elisabeth knelt opposite him and took both his hands in hers, squeezing hard. He looked at her through blurry eyes, moisture smeared across his face. 

“I don’t deserve to be here,” Michael said, sniffing. “I don’t deserve forgiveness. The things I’ve done are unforgivable.”

“Michael, war is full of ugly things,” Elisabeth said softly. “You saw that from an early age. You saw what people were capable of. It robbed you of your mother, your innocence. It’s been haunting you ever since.” She squeezed his hand so tightly he thought she might cut off the blood flow. “There’s nothing I can say to make you feel better about the things you’ve done but the fact you feel remorse makes you human. You didn’t want to do those things. Everything you’ve done has been for the people you love. You fought for them. Let  _ that _ define who you are. Yes it’s important to take responsibility for what you’ve done, but don’t let it destroy you. You are capable of so much good, because you  _ are _ good. The people who know you -  _ really _ know you - they know that you’re a  _ good _ person.”

A few more tears dripped down his face and he released himself from Elisabeth in order to wipe his cheeks dry. 

“I’m certainly no psychologist,” Elisabeth said, handing him a tissue. “But that’s just my gut reaction. I want you to know that you can talk to me if you need to. It only causes more harm not to talk about it.” She smiled. “Thank you for being so honest with me, Michael.”

Michael wiped his face with the tissue, then stared at Doctor Shannon. “You’re so kind. Makes me wonder how you ended up with someone like Jim…”

Elisabeth laughed. “He’s a teddy bear once you get to know him. His job as a cop made him paranoid over the years and he’s always been stubborn. But eventually you’ll get to love him too.”

“I’ll take your word for it. Thanks...for listening. It helped a lot.”

They both stood up, smiling, when they heard shouting coming from the front door.

“No! Get away from me, Mark! You lied to me!”

It was Maddy. Michael and Elisabeth saw her as she stormed through the front door. They briefly saw Mark, begging for her to wait, before she slammed the door on him.

“What on earth was that about?” Elisabeth said aloud. “Will you excuse me, Michael? I need to talk to my daughter.”

Michael nodded. He let himself out, only to see Mark sitting outside with his head buried in his hands. He looked up at Michael with tears in his eyes.

“I told her,” he mumbled. “She didn’t take it well.”

Michael sighed, seeing that familiar rejected look in Corporal Reynolds’ eyes. “Come on, let’s go for a drink at Boylan’s. My treat.”

* * *

“She could barely look me in the eye,” moaned Reynolds, taking his cup from Boylan’s temporary replacement, Annie. Annie usually had her own store in the market, but seeing as business had slowed dramatically in the past year, she was more than happy to help Boylan out while he was still healing up in the Infirmary. Michael would have to pay him another visit soon, but now he knew Mira and Carter were also in there, he had a bit of anxiety when thinking about it.

Reynolds took a swig from his cup. “She said I had been hiding all these things from her and that she couldn’t marry someone she didn’t really know.” He took the engagement ring out of his pocket. It was modest but nice. It must have taken a long time to find. It wasn’t as though the colony had an abundance of engagement rings lying around lately. 

“I’m sorry,” Michael said sympathetically. A year ago, he might have thought the situation as some sort of karma, but now it was just sad. “Why did you end up telling her?”

Mark sighed, leaning over the bar. “We were just going over some stuff for the wedding and I remembered what you said about the truth always coming out. I just didn’t want all that stuff to come out after we were married, you know? I don’t want any secrets from her. I had to tell her.”

Michael nodded. He understood. Mark took another sip of his drink, looking at Michael from the corner of his eye. 

“You must be loving this,” he muttered. “After what I did to you.”

“Of course not,” argued Michael. Then wrinkled his nose. “Okay, maybe I would have before, but it’s different now. I’ve let a lot of anger go. And you and Maddy are perfect for each other. She’ll forgive you. People forgave me...sorta.”

“ _ Sorta _ ,” Mark repeated scornfully. “Her dad’ll throw me in the Brig as soon as she tells him.”

“I don’t think so,” mused Michael.

“Why not? He locked  _ you _ up.”

“Yeah but you’re not related to Lucas.”

They both chuckled. 

“Besides, it was a long time ago, right?” said Michael. “You haven’t had any contact with them since?”

“No, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I was just a kid, but those people...they terrified me. That woman…”

“Oh, you remember her? Miranda Nichol?”

“She was the worst one. After I broke contact, I was actually really nervous she was going to come after me. I didn’t sleep for weeks. I hid that old communicator under my floorboards and tried not to think about it. It took a long time.”

Michael swigged from his own drink. The bitter liquid sailed down his throat with ease. “We’re gonna stop her, Mark. If it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to get my son and get my own back on that evil bitch.”

Mark froze. “Wait, your son?” 

Oh right. Only the council knew about his and Alicia’s child. He supposed there was no harm in being honest with everyone now.

“Yeah. My son. Nichol has him now.”

Mark’s expression fell. He genuinely looked concerned. “I’m so sorry, Michael. I had no idea. I can’t imagine...”

Michael downed his drink, trying not to let those fears eat him up again, or at least let his fear show. He wasn’t going to relax until he had Alicia and their son back in his arms, but he didn’t need to lose his cool in front of Reynolds. Besides, he felt like he’d released enough emotion for one day. 

Reynolds looked at him solemnly. “When you go back for them, I’d like to go with you. If that’s alright.”

Michael was astounded. “Are you sure?”

Mark smiled. “Yeah. I want to help. It’s the least I can do after how I treated you. We were all so concerned with what those people might take from us. We didn’t realise how much they had already taken from you.”

Michael’s heart warmed. Was this friendship? He had forgotten what it was like to be Mark’s friend. It reminded him how much he missed it.

“Of course,” Michael said, smiling back. “Thank you.”

After a few more drinks, Michael bid a slightly drunken goodbye to Mark and stumbled out of the bar towards home. 

As he passed the Command Centre, he could have sworn he saw Mira and Jim inside talking. It didn’t look like she was being interrogated. They were hunched together, looking over a plex. It looked like they were...working together? 

Michael quickly dismissed that idea. Jim wouldn’t spend months demonising Michael for working with the Sixers, and then invite the leader to work alongside him? 

It must be part of his drunken imagination, he thought, then stumbled back home to fall unconscious. 


	20. Chapter 20

As it turned out, it wasn’t his imagination.

Jim called an emergency council meeting. Today’s training was postponed as both Reilly and Michael wanted an update on what was happening since the Sixers had returned to the colony, and it was  _ quite _ an update.

The council members had quite a surprise when they saw Mira joining them at the table. She looked a lot better than she did back at the Sixer camp. Dressed in clean clothes, she sat ignoring everyone with her arms folded. 

“What the hell is she doing here?” Durwin demanded, highlighting what was on everyone’s minds. 

“Mira is with us now,” Jim explained, taking a seat next to her.

“Are you just inviting back everyone who betrayed us?” spat Nick, disbelief in his voice.

“She’s been extremely cooperative,” Jim replied. “I think she’ll be a great asset to us during this uncertain time, and probably well into the future too...That’s why I’ve decided to make her my deputy.”

The whole room scoffed.

“You can’t be serious!” Malcolm cried. He was sitting on the opposite end of the table, well away from Mira.

“She’s the leader of the Sixers,” Reilly reminded Jim bitterly, glaring coldly at Mira.

Michael stared at Mira. She was being uncharacteristically quiet. It was only days ago that he was sitting in the same place, facing the same criticism. Did she really want to be back here? Did she seriously want to help them?

These were some of the questions the council asked, barely giving Jim enough time to answer. 

Jim explained her reasons for being there: the fall out with the Phoenix Group, and the real reason for all her misdeeds - the fact EdenCorp had her daughter. 

Durwin didn’t seem to care. “Why don’t you just invite the whole lot of them back here?” he suggested unhelpfully. “Seeing as we’re suddenly so big on forgiveness!” 

“Weren’t you people listening?” snapped Mira, finding her voice. “Hooper is coming here and he’s going to bring that THING with him. I’m no longer interested in fighting with you. I just want my daughter back, and you have a way for me to do that.”

“Right,” said Jim. “And how’s that going, Malcolm? Have Lucas’ notes been helpful?”

Malcolm’s jaw stiffened. “Yes but…” He sighed. “I may know _ how _ to build it, now it’s just building it that’s the issue. I’ve enlisted Maddy’s help as well as a few others so perhaps days at best.”

“Okay. Keep me updated. In the meantime, the most important thing is that we prepare to fight. We may have two armies heading our way any day now. Hopefully the terminus will be ready before then so we can at least have the element of surprise.”

“Training is going well, sir,” Reilly informed him. “And we’re getting more volunteers by the day. I’ll be taking them out again as soon as this meeting is over.”

“That’s great, Reilly. Thank you.”

Jim took them through a few other bits and pieces, such as the food situation and the repairs for the colony. As they reached the end of the discussion, Michael was surprised to find that there was no mention of Mark. He thought Jim would have included the revelation of Mark’s past in their update, but apparently not. 

Maybe Maddy didn’t tell him, or he thought the council had enough on their plate without worrying what happened several years ago. 

Either way, it seemed Jim was softening on his suspicions by the day. Inviting Michael back on the Security team was one thing, but offering Mira a place as his deputy? She had got off lightly -  _ better _ than lightly - compared to him. There was a part of Michael, deep down, that found this hurtful, but what was the sense in fighting it now? He was accepted back, so was Mira. They both had roles to play now in helping Terra Nova win this next fight. 

Michael was the last to leave. He was about to take off when Mira grabbed his arm. 

“Mira,” Jim warned from across the room, noticing the woman’s aggressive gesture.

“You’ve been back there,” Mira said, staring intensely into Michael’s eyes. She stood, coming face to face with him. “Did you see Sienna?”

Michael nodded gently.

She took a sharp inhale of breath, as if she couldn’t believe it. “H...How is she?” 

“When I saw her six months ago, she was good. Happy. They were taking good care of her.” He paused. No matter what she had done, Mira deserved to know about her daughter. She had missed so much. “She looks like you. She liked to draw pictures of you. She had a pretty singing voice, I remember that. She bugged pretty much everyone, but in an endearing sort of way. She misses you a lot.”

She couldn’t help it. A single tear rolled down her sharp cheekbone. “She remembers me?”

“Yeah. She’s still waiting for you.”

“I’m coming for her,” she whispered. “I’m coming no matter what. Shannon,” she turned to him, raising her voice. “As soon as that portal’s ready I’m going through it.”

“Get in line,” argued Michael. “As soon as it’s up and running, I’m getting my son back.”

She let go of him, staring up at him with confusion. “You have a son?”

“Yeah. And they have him too. So let’s just agree that as soon as we get our kids back, we’ll kick Nichol’s ass. Okay?”

Mira smirked. “Works for me.”

“One thing at a time,” Jim said, exasperated. “When we get the terminus working again, we’ll discuss what the next move should be.”

“Fine,” Michael and Mira both said in unison. They looked at each other uncomfortably. 

“Mira, come look at this,” Jim requested as he pulled something up on his plex. “Maybe you can help me with something.”

Michael took that as his cue to leave. It looked as though Mira’s deputy duties had started immediately. The absolute hypocrisy of Jim hiring Mira as his deputy, yet demonising anyone who had dealt with her, wasn’t lost on Michael. A year ago this would have infuriated him. His father wouldn’t have allowed for this. But Jim was able to see things with a different eye. Mira had skills and knowledge that would no doubt be useful to them in these desperate times. And it was clear she had no allegiance to EdenCorp. All she wanted was Sienna back. That’s all Michael wanted too - to get his family back. So perhaps the enemy of their enemy  _ was _ actually their friend. Well, perhaps  _ friend  _ was a bit strong of a word. 

As he left, he noticed the Brachiosaur browsing outside the fence again, the fifty foot tall giants peered over the colony as a couple of young girls watched joyfully. Michael smiled and continued on towards the gates.

He joined Reilly for their training session, noticing Skye had joined them again this time. She looked even more the part today, with her uniform neatly assembled and her hair tied back in a tight bun. He had never seen her look so orderly. Her appearance was usually quite wild and unruly, just like her. He was surprised to see her so determined after yesterday. 

He and Reilly took them through a strict training regime, ensuring the volunteers got the most help. Skye was the youngest female there, and one of the best volunteers. She had strength and gumption. She showed no fear or vulnerability, that is, except when it came to the weapons. 

Michael took his time with her today, letting the other soldiers and recruits leave as their training for the day came to an end. He let her get reaccustomed to the weight of the gun in her hands, letting her breathe and line the target up with her point of vision. He didn’t pressure her to fire. 

Soon it was just the two of them.

“Skye,” he said after a while. “There’s no pressure for you to do this. You know that when you do this for real, it won’t be a piece of wood at the end of this gun. It’ll be a real person.”

She didn’t break her gaze with the target, her breaths hard, eyes wide - just staring at that damn dot in front of her. “I...I know.”

“You can use the sonic setting all you want but there will come a point when you might need to use a bullet.”

“I know that.”

She closed her eyes, perhaps trying to focus her thoughts. Maybe she was trying to get Lucas out of her mind.

“Are you sure you want to do that? Do you think you can kill one of them? Maybe several of them, if you have to?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “If I have to.” She opened her eyes, her expression changed. Then she pulled the trigger. 

She hit just outside the target, but it was enough for Michael to celebrate.

“You did it, Squirt!” He patted her on the back and cheered for her.

She showed him a rather surprised grin. 

“I knew you could do it! We’ll make a soldier out of you yet!” 

Skye breathed a sigh of relief, as if she could hardly believe it. 

Later, Michael walked her back to the colony. As they followed the worn path back, Skye kept glancing over at him.

“Thanks for today,” she said. “It means a lot, you being patient with me.”

“Of course,” he replied. “People learn at different rates and I know what you’ve been through. I remember I had a little trouble with my aim at the start. Wash had to help me a lot.” He smiled at the memory of his lessons with Alicia, back in the beginning. He remembered with each lesson, he seemed to fall more in love with her until there was no coming back from it. 

They came to a halt by the tall fence of the colony, waiting for the gates to open, the midday sun beating down on them. 

“You’re gonna be a great dad to that baby,” she said suddenly, smiling up at him.

He looked at her, surprised. “Who…” He paused. “Reynolds has a big mouth,” he muttered, glaring back at the colony as the gates slowly opened. 

“In his defence, he didn’t mean to. He was pretty hungover this morning.” She followed him as they entered the colony. “I just don’t know why you didn’t tell me.”

He sighed. “It was never really a secret, it was just...when I came back, there was a lot going on. It was already a big shock for everyone to learn that Wash was still alive. I didn’t want to complicate things any more by telling everyone we had a kid together too. I haven’t even seen him in person.”

She stopped and put her hand on his arm. “You will. And he’s gonna love you.”

She always knew how to make him smile. “Thanks. By the way, how’s Tasha?”

“She’s getting by. I think what happened the other night was actually kind of helpful, you know, to let it all out.”

Michael nodded, he got that. It certainly helped his mental health by unloading on Elisabeth Shannon the previous night. Just to cry and admit what had happened and how he felt about it. Crazy how that works, he thought.

“Alright,” she said. “I told Mr Shannon I’d also volunteer with getting some repairs done to the colony. I’ll see you la-”

She had taken a few steps back when Michael noticed her gaze drawn to something behind him. It was Mira on the Command Centre balcony, flicking through something on a plex. 

Skye halted. Her lips parted in confusion. 

“What is she doing up there? Is she working with Mr Shannon?” she demanded heatedly.

Michael nodded.

“After everything she’s done? After what she did to my mom? How could he? How could he do that?”

“I guess he’s just expanding our options with what’s coming,” Michael suggested. 

“You agree with this?” she questioned resentfully.

“No. I mean, it hurt me too,” he reasoned. “She made my life hell for years too, remember? But the same way she was pulling our strings, someone was pulling hers. In a weird way...she was being manipulated just like us.”

“I can’t…” Skye began dismissively, shaking her head. “She better stay away from me and my mom,” she snapped, then she stormed away angrily.

“Skye!” Michael called after her, but quickly gave up. She was already gone, and besides, she had a right to be angry. She wouldn’t forgive Mira for holding her mother captive all those years, withholding her treatment whenever Skye was late with intel. She had put the poor girl in an impossible situation, forcing her to spy on her own people. Michael knew that pain. He was tired of his friends and family being used as pawns by Nichol and her rich associates. The sooner they put an end to her the better. Then maybe the real healing could begin. Maybe they could actually start to forgive each other.

* * *

He returned home for a quick shower and a change of clothes before visiting Boylan in the Infirmary. He’d heard that he was doing much better and that he would be able to go home today, so Michael thought he would be there to see him back to his house.

When he entered the Infirmary, it was a bit chaotic. Part of the unit was clearly being used by Malcolm and the science team who had set up in the corner. He could see the base of the terminus being set up which gave him a little bit of positivity as he noticed Malcolm and Maddy chatting busily and looking at Lucas’ old notes. 

He also saw Carter who was sitting up in bed, looking a lot healthier. Carter clocked him staring but Michael quickly looked away. 

On his way to Tom, he saw the young girls he had seen watching the Brachiosaur earlier that day. They were each lying on a cot, bruised and bloody. Jim and Mira were standing over them, asking them questions. Michael’s heart started racing. He caught Doctor Shannon, who was rushing past him, to ask what had happened.

“Two Brachiosaur outside the fence went haywire,” she explained, looking flustered. “One minute they were fine, the next they started ramming into the fence. One of them swung its head over the fence, sending the girls flying. They’re okay, thank god. Just a little banged up.”

Michael was confused. “But they’re harmless. They don’t normally hurt humans.”

“I think that’s what Jim and Mira are trying to find out. See if there’s any connection with how the other dinosaurs have been behaving recently.”

“I see…”

Michael watched as Jim asked questions and the poor girls recalled what happened. They couldn’t have been more than thirteen. They must have been terrified. Mira was moodily quiet. He knew what she must have been thinking. From her paranoid speech earlier, she seemed just about ready to blame everything on the Cruentusaur. Michael wasn’t so sure, but he had seen some bizarre things lately and he couldn’t deny that the monster seemed to have some control over the other creatures here. 

“I suppose you’re looking for Boylan?” Elisabeth asked him. “I’ll take you to him.”

Boylan looked like his old self again. He was wide awake, the colour having returned back to his cheeks. He smiled widely when he saw Michael. 

“Boyo,” he said jokingly. “How are you?”

“Really good actually,” Michael chuckled, enjoying seeing him so upbeat. “You’re looking well.”

“I feel  _ much _ better. Ready to get back to my bar.”

“You’re going back to work?” Michael asked, disappointed. “Are you sure that’s wise? You got sick for a reason. You need to take it easy.”

Boylan laughed. “Don’t be daft. I’ve got a job to do. I’d be bored sitting at home.”

“Tom, I’m serious.”

“So am I. The doc says I’m fine, so let’s go.”

Michael sighed. After Tom got changed and ready, he walked the older man home. As they walked, Michael brought him up to speed with everything that was happening.

“Bloody hell, Mira as the sheriff's deputy?” he scorned. “The colony won’t take that well. I bet he’s losing the crowd fast.”

“Hopefully not,” Michael said. “We’re going to need everyone on the same page if we’re going to beat EdenCorp.”

“True. I wonder how your old man would be handling this,” Boylan said thoughtfully. “He was usually pretty good at gathering everyone together.”

Michael nodded, frowning slightly. 

Tom looked over at him. “Oh. Sorry, lad. I’m sure wherever he is, he’s okay. He’s a stubborn bastard. He’s probably found your Lieutenant Washington and they’re holed up somewhere safe.”

“You think so?” Michael asked hopefully. He wanted more than anything for that to be true.

“Yeah,” Boylan said. “I really do. No one’s tougher than those two.” 

Once they got to Boylan’s house, Michael made him promise not to do anything too strenuous, and that he would pop by when he could to make sure he was doing the proper exercise. Tom dismissed him playfully.

“Alright, alright,” he said, dropping himself down onto his couch. “Go on. I’m sure you’ve got better things to do.”

Michael went to close the door, hesitating. “I’m really glad you’re better, Tom. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Tom looked up from the couch. “I don’t know what  _ I’d _ do without  _ you _ , kid.” He smiled warmly. Then he rolled his eyes. “Now leave me alone so I can start ignoring your advice!”

Michael shook his head playfully, then closed the door behind him. Now Boylan was home, he had one less thing to worry about. Now for the hundred other things he had to deal with.

When he got home, he could hear an ominous beeping coming from his bedroom. It was coming from the device under his bed. Panicked, he bent down to scoop it up immediately. On the small screen, he saw a message:

_ URGENT. CALL BACK - LUCAS. _

It must be important if Lucas was trying to get hold of him. He pressed a few buttons and soon Lucas’ holographic image was projecting in front of him.

“Michael, finally! I have to be quick.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I picked up some portal activity in Chicago. I told Nichol and we’re firing up our terminus here as we speak. She’s preparing her army.”

“What? But we’re not ready. The colony’s not on board with the deal, Jim’s still in charge. Why hasn’t she checked in with me?”

A brief pause as Lucas snorted, his grainy eyes trained on Michael. “Let’s be real, Michael. You were never going to get rid of Shannon. You were never going to take over the colony. It was always going to come down to this. This army isn’t like the last, they weren’t going to survive the trip from the Badlands, but now we can open this portal, things have changed.”

“They’ll come through much closer to the colony,” Michael realised. “When are they coming?”

“From what I gather, you have a matter of days.”

Michael’s heart started pounding in his chest. Not much time at all. But at least he knew, which begged the question…

“Why are you telling me this? You didn’t have to...you could have just launched a surprise attack. You could have destroyed us…”

Lucas’ eyes drifted downwards. He shrugged. “I don’t know, brother. I just thought it was something you’d like to know.”

Michael stared at his brother’s transparent image. He was  _ helping _ them. Actually  _ helping _ . He didn’t understand. Why would he change sides? Why would he want to help the colony instead of hurting it? 

“I have to go,” Lucas said. “Bye, Michael.”

He was gone.

Michael was speechless for a moment. Then he burst out of his house to find Jim. He ran through the colony, straight for the Command Centre, but no one was in there. He made a beeline for the Infirmary, where he last saw Jim, but he wasn’t there either. Elisabeth had just got off her shift and told him that he had gone back to the house. Seeing his panic, she followed him all the way to her front door, where Jim and Mira were talking.

They stared at Michael, perplexed, as he ran up to them. 

“I need to tell you something,” he panted.


	21. Chapter 21

“Michael, how the hell do you know all this?” Jim demanded. He and Mira were standing over him as he sat on the couch, next to Elisabeth. He’d told them everything Lucas had said in their brief conversation. “I have your device. How did they get in contact with you?”

Michael looked sheepishly at his hands. Above him, Mira laughed spitefully.

“Still keeping secrets?” she said derisively. “Always the bad boy.”

“Shut it, Mira,” he mumbled in reply. “It’s just..it’s not my secret to tell.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Jim scoffed.

“Mark,” a female voice came from behind Michael. He turned to see Maddy standing from her bedroom door. “Mark had a device too.”

“Reynolds? And why would Reynolds have a device?” demanded Jim. The room was silent. “Does someone want to fill me in here?”

“Because he was working for them too,” Maddy admitted sadly. “A long time ago, years before we got here. He was one of them.”

“What?” Jim looked furious. “And you’re just telling me this now?”

“Sweetheart, is that why you broke the engagement off?” Elisabeth asked. Maddy nodded her head, frowning.

“Did you know about this?” Jim turned to Mira, who looked just as surprised as he did. 

“No. He wasn’t an ally when I got here. As far as I knew, we were on our own. Except for Lucas.” 

“I’m gonna need to speak to him. Now,” Jim almost shouted. 

“I’ll get him,” Elisabeth offered helpfully. 

Ten minutes later, she returned with a bewildered looking Reynolds. Elisabeth set him down on the couch next to Michael whilst Maddy watched from a distance. The questions started immediately. Reynolds looked overwhelmed. Michael caught him locking eyes with Maddy. He recognised the shame and misery in his gaze.

“Alright, I’ll tell you everything,” Reynolds snapped, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He must have known it was over. The whole room went silent, staring at Reynolds intently, particularly young Maddy who looked on, her face filled with hurt and confusion. 

“My family…” he began timidly. “We didn’t have a lot of money when I was growing up so we lived in a pretty basic apartment. It didn’t have all the latest filters it should have, so it was cheap. But when I was twelve years old, my dad got sick from the pollution. He died pretty soon after that and then my mom got too sick to work, so she lost her job and couldn’t afford the rent.” He risked a look at the small crowd around him. Their expressions had eased slightly. He continued: “Our landlord kicked us out. We lived on the streets for a couple years, so she didn’t last long. She developed respiratory problems. Then she died too.” He sighed miserably. “I was on my own for a bit. I’m not proud of what I did to get by, but I did. I took care of myself. Then they approached me.”

“EdenCorp,” Jim said.

Mark nodded. “They found me and told me they could house me, feed me, give me clean air. As long as I did something for them. I was a kid with nowhere else to go, how was I going to turn down an offer like that?”

“Sounds a bit like my story,” Mira said under her breath. “They seek you out when you’re most vulnerable, promise you the world, then screw you over.”

“Well,” Mark continued. “I agreed, obviously. I lived at their Headquarters. They gave me all this training, all this education. I joined the military, then they ensured I got assigned to Terra Nova. Nichol, she gave me the device. She said she would contact me when I made it through. I gave her information on the colony. I went out and explored, told her about the Badlands and what I found there…But then I changed my mind. I got rid of the device and I never heard from her again. Until Michael came back.”

“So you knew about this the whole time?” Jim asked Michael accusingly.

“They told me about Mark,” Michael admitted. “They said if I needed help with contacting them, he would help me.”

“Stange how us Sixers weren’t told about him,” Mira commented bitterly.

“I expect you didn’t need the help,” Michael said. “There were enough of you to infiltrate without Mark’s help. Anyway, the only way he was going to help me was if I blackmailed him, now that he’s broken ties with them.”

Mark got to his feet. “I  _ am _ sorry, Mr. Shannon.” He turned to face Maddy, who had tears streaming down her face. “Maddy, I’m so sorry. I hope you can understand...can we just put my past behind me and start again?”

Maddy walked over to him, wiping her tears away. “Mark, it’s not about who you were. It’s that you didn’t tell me. You had this terrible secret from me when we were about to start the rest of our lives together. I wish you had just told me.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll tell you everything from now on. I promise.”

“You better, if we’re going to be husband and wife.”

Mark’s eyes lit up. “You still want to get married?”

“Of course I do!” 

She kissed him, wrapping her arms around him, holding him tightly. Mark kissed her back, happy, relieved. 

“This is really romantic and all, but wasn’t there something about an incoming invasion?” Mira spoke up. She turned to Michael. “You said Lucas told you this? Why would he, given that he works for the bitch?”

“I don’t know, but he did,” Michael admitted. “He has no reason to lie.” 

“I agree, we can question his motives later,” said Jim. “Right now we have to treat this seriously. We’re really going to have to speed things up. I’ll get in touch with Reilly to brief the troops. Then tomorrow morning, I’ll address the colony.” He sighed. If Michael didn’t know better, he could have sworn Jim was looking nervous.

He got to his feet. “Jim, is there anything you need me to do?”

“Yeah,” Jim glared. “You can give me that communicator and get the hell out of my house.”

Defeated, he retrieved the device from his coat pocket and handed it over. His one link to the future, gone. He had to rely on Jim for any communication now. 

Michael left the house with Mira in tow. He tried to race ahead but he could hear her insufferable snorting behind him.

He turned around. “What?” he snapped.

“You can barely look at me,” she said incredulously. “Look, we’re on the same team now whether you like it or not, so you might as well learn to work with me. Just like old times.” She smirked.

That was it. She was infuriating. “You don’t deserve to be back here,” Michael almost yelled. He knew he had defended her to Skye earlier, but really he was just as angry as her that Mira was here. He couldn’t forget what she had done to him or the people he loved. She was the reason why he betrayed everyone, why his father distrusted him. It all started with her and that stupid box. “After what you did to Deborah, to Skye, to  _ me  _ and everyone here. You hurt the people we loved to manipulate us. You’re no better than Nichol. You disgust me.”

She blinked. “Well, don’t hold back, will you? Tell me what you really think,” she said sarcastically. 

He shook his head, repulsed by her. “Obviously Jim thinks you’re of some use, that’s why he’s working with you. But it doesn’t mean you still control me. Or Skye.” He came closer. “And if you ever go near her or Deborah, I’ll kill you.” 

He started to walk away. 

“You’re no better than me, Michael!” She yelled after him. “You hurt people for the same reasons I did!”

He paused, considering turning back to argue some more. But he continued walking. He had to leave or he wouldn’t be in control of his actions. 

Besides there were bigger things to worry about now.

* * *

“I know I’m not as good as this is as Taylor was,” Jim declared from the Command Centre balcony, facing the crowds of people staring up at him with fear and concern. He shifted his weight awkwardly, clearing his throat. “In fact, I know many of you disagree with how I’ve been handling things since he’s been gone. And I am truly sorry for that. I hope under different circumstances, I would have done you justice...been the leader you deserved. But as you all know now, since Corporal Taylor’s return, we’ve become aware of a further threat to our colony, to our way of life. I think you all remember the Commander’s words from a year ago, when we were under similar circumstances. He said that together, we can prevail. We beat them once, at a cost. But we got through it. And we can do it again. We’re not sure when they’re coming, but they will come. Be alert, be ready. Be brave. I have faith in you, Terra Nova.”

Jim paused, looking out over the crowd as the nervous chatter began. Then he turned back into the Command Centre. 

“Nice speech,” Michael complimented him. It was good to still have someone speak to the colony, to instill some hope in them.

“Is that really what Taylor sounded like last time? Give me strength,” Mira said disdainfully.

“Thanks for your input, Mira,” muttered Jim. “Next time I’ll let you proof-read my speech before I give it.”

“Reilly’s briefing the troops in a minute. Last minute ammo and equipment checks, that kind of thing,” Michael informed him.

“Good, any update with the science team?”

“I checked in with Malcolm this morning,” replied Mira. “Once he stopped ignoring me, he told me they were nearly there with the terminus. They’ve been working non-stop. Look like a bunch of zombies.”

“Alright. Everything seems to be coming together.” He scrolled through some data on his plex, wiping sweat from his forehead. Michael wasn’t used to Jim looking like this.

“You feeling okay, Jim?” Michael asked. 

“Fine,” he said sternly. “I just wish Taylor were here...he’d know the right thing to do. He led the way last time, even when he wasn’t here….he was  _ here _ .”

“You seemed to know what you were doing last time,” Michael offered. “You helped save the colony.”

“Yeah, well, I seem to remember someone telling me my actions caused the deaths of dozens of people,” Jim said bitterly, glaring at Michael.

“Oh,” Michael replied. He hadn’t realised what happened at Hope Plaza still resonated so much with Jim. 

“Don’t feel sorry for them,” Mira scoffed. “They were working for EdenCorp, or whatever corrupt part of the government funded Hope Plaza. They got off easy, if you ask me.”

“No one’s asking you, Mira,” Michael snapped. “Make sure everything is prepared for the lockdown tonight. No one leaves their units unless of an emergency, got it?”

“Got it,  _ ex-captain _ ,” she murmured, shooting him a quick glare as she headed for the exit.

As soon as Mira left, Michael stepped up to Jim. “Now is not the time to second guess yourself, Jim. We’re all counting on you to lead us. If you’ve got guilt, join the club. We can deal with that afterwards. But my dad trusted you to take care of the colony, and that’s what you’ve got to focus on.”

“I know,” Jim barked, looking like he wanted to throw his plex on the desk in front of him. “I just didn’t think I would be the one to lead us into another fight. We’ve already lost so much. What if we don’t survive another attack?”

“Heed your own words, Jim. We’ll get through it together. Whatever it takes.”

Jim raised his head, inhaling deeply. “Yeah. I know, you’re right. I just needed a minute.” He nodded gently at Michael. “Right. We’ve got work to do. And I have somewhere important I have to be. You mind helping Reilly address the troops?”

“Yes, sir.” 

“You know what,” Jim smirked, making his way towards the stairs. “If someone had told me a year ago I’d be leading the fight with Mira as my deputy, and you calling me ‘Sir’, I would have told them they’d been spending too much time in Boylan’s Bar.”

Michael laughed. “I would have been inclined to agree.”

Michael left to join Reilly in rounding up the troops. Most of them had already gathered, with a few stragglers joining the back, like Skye. She was saying goodbye to Deborah. 

“Be careful, Bucket,” Deborah said, hugging her. She pulled away and rubbed her daughter’s arm, looking at her in her uniform. “I wish your father could see you. He would have been so proud.”

Skye smiled. “Thanks, mom.”

Her smile disappeared as soon as she saw Carter rock up to join the group, dressed in the same Terra Novan uniform. 

“Oh hell no,” Skye said. “No way is he fighting with us?”

“Sorry, Squirt,” Michael chipped in as he approached. “Jim okay’d it. Carter gets a chance to prove himself. Isn’t that right, Carter?”

“Can’t wait,” Carter muttered.

Skye looked like he was about to punch Carter as she walked right up to him. “You can’t be serious! He kept my mom captive. He kept her medicine from her.”

“Bucket,” Deborah said softly. Michael was relieved to see her calm Skye down. She gently pulled her daughter away, only for Deborah’s hand to suddenly collide sharply with the side of Carter’s head.

He recoiled, holding his burning flesh with both hands. “Bitch!” he turned to Michael. “You gonna let her just do that?”

“Do what?” Michael asked. “I didn’t see anything.” He winked at Skye and Deborah, who were holding back stifled laughter.

Carter growled, about to make a counter-attack, when Michael grabbed him and pushed him towards the crowd where Reilly was beginning to address the soldiers. Neither of them had to be afraid of him anymore. Now he was going to play by  _ their _ rules.

* * *

**2150**

There was so much to do.

Now that the original Hope Plaza portal was back in range, Lucas had started work on anchoring it to their terminus. Then Nichol would send her army through. They would finish what they started a year ago. They would take Terra Nova. 

Except Lucas didn’t seem so deliciously enthralled by the idea anymore. His father had already been dethroned, and he was the one Lucas wanted to hurt most. It had already been done. The Commander was gone. It was over.

Maybe that’s why he had warned Michael of the incoming invasion. Terra Nova’s destruction didn’t mean as much to him anymore, not if his father wasn’t around to see it. Now he just felt like he was following Nichol’s orders for the sake of it. Perhaps warning Michael was to spite her.

Regardless, he still had to do as she said, even if he wasn’t getting anything out of it anymore. He was collecting some papers together with his plex when a loud, piercing alarm thundered through his ear drums. The security alarm. Noticing some men running through the corridor outside, he went to investigate. 

“What’s going on?” he asked the soldiers passing his lab.

“Perimeter breach. A bunch of rebels have got through,” one of the men explained. They ran for the elevator, some readjusting their uniform and weapons, preparing to fight the intruders. 

Lucas slowly walked over to the window. He could see a large crowd of angry, screaming people down below. They were storming the building, running through the entrance. Guns were going off from both sides. 

Well, it was only a matter of time until they tried something like this, Lucas thought. The Rebellion was fast outnumbering Nichol’s army of pathetic volunteers. People were soon realising she wasn’t as powerful as she was making out to be. 

But still, this proved problematic for him. If the rebels were attacking, he wasn’t going to be safe here. They weren’t going to be particularly happy with the guy that was helping make Nichol’s pockets deeper, were they? 

He didn’t have long to make a decision. If he left EdenCorp, he wouldn’t survive a day out in the city. He wasn’t arrogant enough to think otherwise. With a civil war going on and the levels of pollution outside, his chances were slim. 

But now he had another option. He didn’t like it much either, but it would at least buy him a bit more time. 

He slowly headed towards the terminus.

On the way he passed more Phoenix Group soldiers who ignored him as they sprinted past. The sounds of gunfire and screaming sounded like they were getting closer. His heart started pounding. He had to get out now. As soon as he got to the stairwell, he started running. The terminus was being kept in a control room downstairs. If he hurried, he could power it up and…

He stopped. Catching his breath, it suddenly dawned on him. 

William. His instincts were urging him to run for that portal. He couldn’t take a baby to the cretaceous period with him. It was hard enough for him to survive in the jungle alone, let alone with an infant. 

But he remembered his promise to Michael and how much he meant it at the time. It was true. He would rather die than let anyone harm that baby. He sighed, swore under his breath, then turned and ran back up the steps. 

Heart racing, he burst through the doors, running as fast as he could to the baby’s room. The gunshots sounded so close now. There wasn’t much time. When he got to Will’s room, he frantically typed the code and swung the door open. 

As he neared the cot, he realised it was empty. The baby was gone.

Before he could do anything, he heard the rebels in the corridor and he ducked.

He heard the heavy sound of boots running past and the rebels yelling at one another.

“Anything up here?”

“Nah. No sign of the bitch. Keep looking.”

Lucas kept low. When he was sure the rebels had gone, he got to his feet.

He had to go. 

He got to the door, about to make his escape when he was met with four rifles pointing directly at him. 

Slowly, he raised his hands up. They had him.

“Tie him up,” a male voice ordered. 

Instinctively, every muscle in Lucas’ body tensed. He knew that voice. 

His father emerged from behind the rebels. He was dressed like them, in black armour and dark clothing, but it was undeniably the Commander. 

“You,” Lucas seethed, his gaze darkening. He couldn’t believe it. He had turned the tables once again.

Taylor offered him a brief, ironic smile. “Hello, Lucas.”


	22. Chapter 22

**Terra Nova**

That evening was a race against the clock to get everything ready as soldiers loaded equipment onto vehicles, perimeters were guarded, weapons distributed. Most of the civilians were in their homes as instructed, waiting - apart from the Shannons who had one final thing to do before everything kicked off. 

The family stood outside of their unit, watching Maddy (who was donning a lace, cream-coloured summer dress) and Mark (wearing the usual green, military fatigues) as they stood opposite each other, holding each other’s hands and smiling. Jim was standing next to them, glancing between them. He cleared his throat. 

“Usually it would be Commander Taylor officiating but, of course, I was more than happy to step in.” He smiled at his eldest daughter, a flicker of emotion in his eyes. “When we first came to Terra Nova, I missed the last two years of Maddy’s life and I regret that more than she’ll ever know. But I am so proud and honoured to have the chance to see her become the strong, intelligent young woman she is today.”

Maddy looked over at her father with moist eyes, her smile growing. A few feet away, Elisabeth put an arm around Josh and pulled him close whilst Zoe cuddled her mother, watching happily. 

“When Reynolds - sorry -  _ Mark  _ first asked me about dating Maddy, I was surprised. I think I might have threatened to shoot him.” That gained a few laughs, particularly from Mark. “I hadn’t realised how much my little girl had grown up and I wasn’t ready for another man to come into our lives - sorry -  _ her _ life and take care of her.” Maddy rolled her eyes, giggling. Jim paused. “Thing is, Maddy can take care of herself.” He smiled warmly at her. “But I’m so glad you’ve found someone, so you can take care of each other. I know you’ll do whatever you can to make each other happy.” Maddy looked like she was fighting tears already. Jim blinked away the emotion, clearing his throat again. “I believe the couple have written their own vows?”

“Oh, yeah.” Maddy turned to Mark, squeezing both his hands. She looked into his eyes, both nervously and excitedly. “Mark, when I came here, I was expecting to find so many exciting things. Beautiful landscapes, amazing wildlife, and hundreds more fascinating discoveries I’m sure will come in the future. What I wasn’t expecting to find...was you.” She giggled, as if she had surprised even herself with the concept. “But I’m so happy I did. And from now on, I want all my exciting things and crazy adventures to be with you.”

Mark grinned at her. He looked captivated by her. He looked  _ happy _ . 

“Maddy. You know my life hasn’t always been easy. I had darkness, and it followed me here and it threatened everything I had worked so hard to achieve. But then I met you. You made my world light again. You are my light, Maddy Shannon. And I hope to try my hardest to bring light to your life too, for the rest of our lives.”

Jim looked between the two again. “Uh, Okay, I guess with the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss, but just a peck - I am still your father.” 

Maddy and Mark laughed before finishing the ceremony with a quick kiss. The Shannons cheered and applauded. Maddy started hugging everyone. Mark shook Jim’s hand, and then was nearly knocked over by Zoe wrapping her arms around him. 

After a few moments of chatter and excitement, Mark and Maddy embraced. He gave her one last, lingering kiss, and then said goodbye. 

Jim patted him on the shoulder. They met Michael who was watching from a distance, waiting. 

“Congratulations,” he said. “You ready?”

Mark nodded. It was time. They headed for the gates, stopping by the rovers and the group getting ready to head out to where Malcolm had set up the terminus. 

“Are you sure I shouldn’t come with you?” Jim asked, last minute second thoughts getting the better of him. “I feel like I need to be there.”

“Like my dad said, the colony needs you here,” Michael said, putting on his armour. “I’m not too sure what to expect when we go through that portal. Nichol might be sending her army through any minute now and if they get past us, you need to be here to lead the fight.” He paused. “Without my dad, without Wash or Guzman, we need you more than ever, Jim.”

Jim nodded. “Right. Then I’ll be here to protect it.”

“Take care of Maddy, will you?” Mark asked Jim solemnly.

Jim stared at him, then smiled reassuringly at him. “Only until you get back. And I’m expecting you back - you’re family now.”

Mark smiled. 

“Alright,” Michael said, taking one last look around. He’d barely been back a couple weeks and now he had to leave again. Hopefully this time he’d be back much sooner. 

“Good luck,” Jim said.

Michael nodded. “You too.”

Michael and Mark loaded into the rover wordlessly. As Michael drove through the gates, he took one last look at the colony in his mirror.

* * *

Parking up the rover, Michael could see the group setting up. Reilly was giving them some last minute instructions as Mira and Malcolm were examining the newly set up terminus. Skye saw Michael and Mark park up and walked over to them. She looked ready for battle. She was fully kitted out: combats, armour, helmet. He almost didn’t recognise her.

“Hey,” she greeted. “We’re just about set up here. You guys ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be. Never thought I’d see these people again,” Mark said nervously. 

“Do you guys have a plan?” Skye asked, walking beside them. “I mean, they must have anchored the portal on their side by now, right?”

“If they have, we have the element of surprise at least. I know my way around EdenCorp, so we’ll head straight to the cells, find the kids, shoot anyone that gets in our way. Then I’m gonna find Alicia and my dad. It should be fine.”

“What if it isn’t?” Skye frowned. “What if the portal opens up on top of a building, what if their whole army is waiting for you? What if you can’t find Wash or Taylor?”

Michael stopped. He nodded to Mark as the corporal patted him on the shoulder and went on ahead. 

“Squirt. Stop worrying. We’ve put a lot of thought into this and it’s just something we have to do.”

“But without backup? It seems too dangerous.”

“We can’t risk anyone else,” Michael explained. “Especially as we don’t know what we’re walking into. It has to be this way.”

Her lip trembled slightly. “Fine. I get it.” She paused a long beat, holding his gaze. “Michael...what about Lucas?”

Ah, Lucas. He had wasted countless hours wondering about his brother, particularly after his last message. The fact of the matter was, Lucas would always do what was best for Lucas. Even if it seemed like he was helping Michael, it was probably only because he was helping himself. In a weird way, he could tell Skye was genuinely concerned about what would happen to him. They both wanted him safe, no matter what. He just made it difficult for anyone to actually help him. Michael knew that better than anybody. He had spent years building Lucas up, thinking he was the victim. When in reality, he was the bad guy all along. That’s why he had thought long and hard about what he would do once he saw him on the other side.

“If he wants to come back with me, then I’ll bring him back. If not…” he trailed off, his gaze lowering to the floor. He knew there was a chance this might be it for him and Lucas. If he wasn’t going to help Michael, then he was going to hurt him, and Michael couldn’t afford that. This wasn’t the first time he had considered killing his brother, but it might be the last, he thought grimly.

Skye’s frown deepened, as if sensing this. But then her attention turned back to Michael. “Be careful.”

He leaned in to give her a hug. She gravitated towards him, her head nestling under his chin as his arm wrapped around her. He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, then pulled back. “Right. You’re a soldier now. I need you to be strong. Can you do that for me, Private?”

“Yes, Corporal,” she smiled and saluted jokingly, then she went to go and help Reilly unload the rest of the equipment out of the containers. He was about to join Mira at the terminus when he heard another rover pull up. 

He watched as Curran got out the rover. What Michael wasn’t expecting was his passenger. 

Tom Boylan. He stepped out, wearing his old battledress and armour. Michael couldn’t believe it. He shot Curran a disapproving look.

“Sorry, man,” Curran shrugged. “He insisted.”

Michael shook his head as Tom marched up to him. “What the hell are you doing here, Tom? You’re meant to be resting.”

“I can’t rest while there’s a war going on, can I?” Boylan argued. “Besides, you didn’t say goodbye.” He looked genuinely annoyed. “Now who do you think you are? You already left once and were gone a bloody year. How long do I have to wait this time?”

Michael sighed. “I didn’t want to worry you. You’ve had enough on your plate.”

“I can decide that, thank you. I’m not dead yet. I’m not helpless either. I’ve been doing this much longer than you and I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.”

“Does Shannon know about this?”

“Like hell he does. But what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him!” Boylan chortled. Michael rolled his eyes playfully. Then Boylan stuck out his hand. “You forgot this by the way.”

Puzzled, Michael took Boylan’s hand. His features reanimated in surprise as he realised, in Boylan’s hand, was Peter’s coin. 

“I noticed you gave it back to me when I was sick. Thanks, lad. But you need it more than me. Take it and let my Peter watch over you. For me, please.”

Michael gently took the coin and held it, letting his thumb trace over the faded image on its face. In a strange moment, he felt like crying. He would have given anything for this kind of support or connection during his months in the future. All he had was Lucas. Angry, broken Lucas. It was suddenly a shock, after all those lonely months, to receive genuine affection and concern for his well being, particularly after all the condemnation from his Terra Novan peers. 

“Thank you, Tom. I’ll look after it.” He placed it in his top pocket. “Now please don’t overdo it. Stay safe while I’m gone. You’ve been out the game for a long time.”

“Pashaw!” Boylan exclaimed. “Once a soldier, always a soldier,” he announced proudly, raising his weapon. 

Michael chuckled. He finally made his way over to Malcolm who was showing Mira a console of buttons. 

“And this button activates - Oh, Corporal Taylor,” Malcolm raised his head to greet Michael, much to Mira’s relief as she rolled her eyes and moved away. “I’ve been explaining to your comrades, the terminus is still very much in rudimentary condition. I would have preferred a bit more time to refine the controls, but it’s functional. What I am concerned about is that EdenCorp will be banking on us having made our own terminus. As soon as this is activated, she can send her men through safely, en masse.”

“That’s why we have soldiers here, Malcolm. Just like last time. I’m fully expecting Nichol to take advantage of the fact we’ve anchored the portal this side. But the hope is she hasn’t figured it all out yet.”

“That’s a lot of hope to bank on,” Malcolm commented pessimistically. 

“We know.” Mark appeared alongside Michael and Mira. He gave them a nod.

“We ready to do this thing?” Mira asked impatiently, holding her rifle. She had refused to wear the Terra Novan uniform, but had no qualms about using their weapons and armour. 

“Hey.” 

Mira looked over to see Carter standing by a tree. He looked more Terra Novan than ever dressed in the getup, trim and clean-shaven. 

“Good luck,” Carter said. “Get your daughter back.”

Mira smirked. “I intend to. You worry about yourself. You’ve already nearly died this week. Once is enough.”

Carter snorted as Mira looked back towards the terminus.

“Fire it up, Malcolm,” Michael ordered.

Malcolm closed his eyes, breathing deeply. Then he swallowed his nerves and hit the button on the console. The portal appeared within the terminus, shimmering that glowing blue.

The three of them walked towards it, then stepped through, letting the light engulf them.

From one world into another.

* * *

**2150**

Lucas spat out another mouthful of blood as one of the rebels punched him in the jaw again. He watched from the seat in Nichol’s office as the man, dressed completely in black, glared disdainfully at him. Lucas laughed under his breath, fidgeting uncomfortably in the rope that tied his hands behind his back. 

“What the hell are you laughing at?” the rebel man demanded angrily.

“Ahh. It’s just funny,” Lucas said, leaning back, breathing heavily. “It’s not the first beating I’ve had in this office.”

The man struck him again. As the pain exploded across his face, he saw the Commander through squinted eyes, watching uncomfortably from the back of the room.

“That’s enough,” Taylor said. “This isn’t helpful.”

“He needs to tell us where Nichol is,” the man argued, circling behind Lucas. A few of the others chimed in with agreement.

“I told you morons, I don’t know where she is,” muttered Lucas impatiently.

“If that’s true then you’re useless to us.” The rebel man suddenly grabbed a tuft of Lucas’ hair and pulled his head back, pressing the gun next to the protruding scar on his neck. “We should just kill you and move on.”

“Go ahead,” Lucas challenged, who despite the increase in his breaths, showed no fear in his features. 

“No!” Taylor interjected loudly, causing everyone in the room to stare at him. He came forward. “Please. Don’t do that.”

“Why not?” one of the other rebels, a woman, asked. 

Taylor sighed, watching Lucas’ beaten face staring back at him with intrigue. “Because he’s my son.”

“Your what?” 

“Which one?” the man with the gun demanded. “The soldier who slaughtered dozens of our people or the scientist helping EdenCorp abuse its power?” 

Lucas sniggered. “Tell me, is there an answer that would make you want to shoot me any less?”

“Not really,” the man muttered, pressing the gun into his flesh.

“The second one,” Taylor answered before Lucas’ snarky comments got himself killed. “His name is Lucas. He’s not innocent in all this, he’s done terrible things to help Nichol. But I’m asking you to put the gun down. Please.”

Lucas glared at his father, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Was he really pretending to be the caring father again? He thought he’d rather have the guy shoot him than witness any more of this.

The man slowly released the gun from Lucas’ neck. “If he is Lucas Taylor then he  _ has _ to know where Nichol is. Get up.”

Lucas stayed put, like a defiant child. 

“GET UP!” the man screamed. 

Lucas exhaled loudly, then got to his feet. 

The rebel got close to his ear, enough to send a small shiver down Lucas’ spine. “You’re going to show us where she is, or we’ll do much worse than kill you. Got it?”

Lucas didn’t look worried. In fact, he looked almost entertained. He caught sight of his father’s concerned gaze before letting the rebel push him towards the door. 

As they walked through the corridors, Lucas kept watching his father walk alongside him. He shook his head in disbelief. 

“What?” Taylor said, his gaze switching between him and making sure the coast was clear ahead of them.

“A few days ago, you had an angry mob after you. Now they’re working  _ with  _ you? Dammit, if I wasn’t so annoyed, I’d be impressed.” He glanced at the others behind him. “What did he promise you all, hmm? Oh wait. Let me guess. He told you he could get you into Terra Nova. Is that it? Hate to inform you all, but that’s not his call.”

“Like hell it isn’t,” snapped Taylor. “I built that colony from the ground up. I grew a community there. I made Terra Nova what it is!”

“Yeah with money from investors like Nichol,” Lucas pointed out. “I know you like to think you did it all by yourself, but the truth is, you were a puppet just like the rest of us. You wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for my employers.”

Taylor looked like he was about to strangle Lucas. “Don’t make me hurt you, boy.”

Lucas laughed scornfully, watching his father’s jaw stiffen. “Don’t worry,” he told his captors. “He’s just a little cranky because I wrecked his home and tried to kill him.” 

“I’m starting to see why you two don’t get along,” a rebel woman commented behind them.

“Oh, our animosity towards each other began way before Terra Nova,” Lucas said resentfully.

Taylor was silent for a few beats, avoiding Lucas’ gaze. “I never once hated you, Lucas,” he said eventually. “You or Michael. I just wanted us to be a family again.”

Lucas stopped suddenly, leaning towards Taylor threateningly. “Well, you made sure of destroying any chance of that, didn’t you?”

“Hey! Keep moving!” The rebel man gave him a hard shove. “We don’t know how long before more of those Phoenix thugs show up.”

Lucas kept walking. He didn’t know exactly where he was leading them, but he kept walking.


	23. Chapter 23

**2150**

The first thing Michael saw on the other side were the several white coats scattered about in front of him. Scientists from OrbisTech. They had desks lined up, whiteboards, computers, monitors set up all around the room. As he heard Mark and Mira pass through behind him, he looked above. They were in what looked like a massive hangar. So this was where Nichol had set up her terminus and anchored the fracture. It certainly wasn’t a room he had been in before. 

The scientists stared at the intruders, confused and fearful. Within moments, Phoenix Group soldiers had run over, pointing rifles at them. Michael put his hands up, Mark and Mira following suit.

One of the soldiers lowered his weapon.

“Captain Taylor. You’ve returned?”

Michael slowly lowered his hands. “Uh, yes. My mission was successful.” He looked behind at his companions. “ _ Our _ mission. We’ve come to inform Ms Nichol. Where is she?”

“Sir, the compound is under attack by the rebels. She’s been transferred to a safe location.”

“Under attack?” Mark repeated nervously. “Where are we, exactly?”

“We’re directly below the facility. The building is in lockdown, so we should be safe down here. The rebels won’t be able to access the portal.”

“I don’t care if it’s World War 3, where’s Sienna?” Mira barked. “Where are the kids?”

“Take us to them,” Michael ordered.

“I’m sorry, Captain. We’re under strict orders to remain with the terminus. We can’t let the rebels get down here.”

“Then we’ll make our own way. How do we get up there?”

“I wouldn’t recommend that, sir. The rebels have control of the building. If I were you I’d wait until reinforcements arrive.”

“Screw that!” Mira exclaimed angrily. “I did what that witch told me to, I’m seeing my daughter right now.”

Michael took a step closer towards the soldier, trying to seem reassuring. “We’ll be careful.”

The young soldier didn’t look too convinced, but nodded anyway. He beckoned for the group to follow him to the end of the hangar where there was an elevator. He informed them of the code.

“It’ll take you to the ground floor. The doors will lock automatically as soon as you get out. Since everything’s locked down, you’ll need that code to open any doors.” He typed the code in as he spoke, then stepped back as the doors opened. “Good luck.”

“Thanks, Private.” 

The three of them got in, catching their last glimpse of the hangar as the doors closed and the elevator kicked into action.

“Well, that was easy,” Mark breathed.

“They don’t know we’ve changed sides,” smirked Mira. “Bet that old crone skipped town at the first sight of trouble and just left her men to die.”

“I have a feeling she’s close by,” Michael contemplated. “Now she has control of this fracture, she won’t want to let it go.”

“So now what? We’ve got to fight a bunch of rebels to get through the building?” Mark said with concern. “I thought we’d be shooting  _ her _ soldiers, not civilians.”

“We can use the sonics for now,” Michael replied. “We won’t kill anyone if we don’t have to.”

A second later and the elevator came to a sudden halt and the doors opened to reveal a small foyer, separate to the main entrance. It was hidden away for obvious reasons. As they bailed out, the doors shut promptly behind them. 

Michael led them to a locked door, leading to the main building. 

“Ready?” he said. His companions nodded. He typed in the code and opened the door, pointing his rifle left and right as he walked through.

It was like stepping into the aftermath of a warzone. Bodies of soldiers lay, mangled and bloodied, across the floor. The odd gunshot was heard every now and then, but it looked like most of the fighting had been done for now.

Michael peered around the corridor, noticing a group of rebels congregating together, talking in low voices. Some of them were smashing on the doors of the main elevator, trying to get through, but it was clear they were stuck where they were. Michael beckoned for the others to keep close to him, then raised a finger to his lips. They would have to try to sneak by to get to the stairwell. 

Michael went first. He tried not to think about it too much. The rebels were busy so wouldn’t notice him sneak by if he was quick. In a flash, he hurried from the cover of the wall, to the other side. Heart racing, he took up cover again, hiding behind another wall. He paused. Nothing. They didn’t notice a thing. He looked over at Mark who was preparing to go next. He was light on his feet. Quickly and quietly, he made it to the other side and took up a place beside Michael.

Mira next. She hesitated, peering around the corner doubtfully. Michael wordlessly encouraged her, using hand signals to beckon her over. She took a quick breath and ran.

“Hey!”

They had seen her. Mira froze. Michael and Mark ducked behind the wall again..

“Who the hell are you?”

Mira raised her hands up gently. “Look, I’m not here for you.”

“She must be one of them. I don’t recognise her,” one of them said.

“You Phoenix Group?” another asked rudely.

“Do I look like one of those idiot soldiers?” she spluttered derisively.

“No but you ain’t one of us.”

“I say shoot her. She’s armed.”

“If she’s here, she’s got to be working for EdenCorp. Kill her.”

Michael’s heart started racing. If he didn’t do something, Mira was dead. He revealed himself from his hiding place and blasted them with a sonic wave. They all fell into a pile on the floor, but not before firing their own guns.

A bullet pierced Mira’s shoulder. She toppled to the floor, screaming in agony. Michael ran over to her, picked her up and dragged her to cover before the rebels could regain consciousness and start firing again. He set her down by a door where he punched in the numbers, swinging it open to reveal the stairwell. He and Mark helped her inside, closing the door behind them.

Michael carried her over to the steps where he laid her down, propping her up against the wall. She groaned in pain, holding the wound as blood spurted through her hands.

“It’s okay,” Michael said. “Let me see.” He retrieved some bandages from his pockets. Mira shakily removed her hand, revealing the bright red wound on the side of her shoulder. Her eyes were wide, fearful. 

“It’s just a flesh wound. You’re gonna be fine,” insisted Michael who had already begun patching her up. Mira stared at him as he placed gauze over the lesion and calmly started to wrap the bandage around her arm.

“A day ago you couldn’t even look at me, now you’re patching me up,” she observed with irony.

Michael pursed his lips, trying to concentrate on wrapping the bandage. 

“There comes a point where you can’t let the past consume you. You have to move on and look forward,” he said, avoiding her gaze. “I could dwell on what you’ve done, what we’ve all done,” he looked back at Mark who was watching on from the bottom of the stairwell. “But it’s not going to help, is it? It’s not going to help Terra Nova, or my son, or Sienna. We’re all here to complete a mission and I’m not in the habit of leaving anyone behind, no matter who I’m fighting for.”

“Fair enough,” she mumbled, biting her lip through the pain. 

He finished tying the bandage. “There. You good?”

“Think so.”

Michael helped Mira to her feet. 

“I think you’ll live. Come on, let’s find those kids.”

Michael led the way up the stairs, several floors up. All that military PT that had been drilled into the soldiers came in handy as they climbed step after step without even breaking a sweat. Mira kept close behind, albeit a little more sweaty and out of breath. She wasn’t a soldier but she was determined to keep up with the men, even if her shoulder was killing her.

“This one,” Michael said, coming to the door. He swiftly typed the numbers in, then slowly opened the door. Mark checked if the coast was clear. He nodded back at Michael and Mira. 

“It’s clear.”

The three of them slipped through the door and jogged down the corridor. 

Passing by the large glass windows, Mark slowed his pace, distracted by the scene outside. Mira followed him curiously as they both peered at the world outside. A bleak sight: they were reminded of just how grey and joyless the future was, the thick smog completely blocking out the sky, the lack of nature and of colour. Added to the ugly setting were the masses of sick and angry people below, clashing with police and military, screaming, crying.

“I forgot how bad it was,” Mira said regrettably.

Mark frowned, his lip curling with disgust. “It’s enough to make you sick. This time is broken.”

Michael, who had observed the sight many times before, steamed ahead with determination. “The accommodation block is just over here,” he told Mark and Mira, who gladly walked away from the window to follow him. He got them through another door which led them to a corridor of rooms. 

Michael had been down this long, white corridor plenty of times. He knew it well. He went to visit what had been Alicia’s room first, but as he stared hopefully through the window, no one was there. He slammed a fist against the glass. Alicia’s bed was gone, replaced by a baby’s cot. But the cot was empty. 

Mark and Mira joined him, looking inside. 

“This was where they kept her,” Michael explained. “When Nichol let me, I came here to check on her...and the baby.”

Mira looked through the glass with disgust. Mark placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“We’ll find them.”

Michael forced a smile at him, though the anxiety on his face was still clear.

“Where’s Sienna’s room?” Mira asked, already looking around again.

Michael pulled away from the glass window. “This way.” He gestured towards a door all the way at the end of the corridor. The door was open. Mira almost sprinted towards it. 

As she pulled the door open, a limp arm fell onto her boot. She recoiled. A Phoenix Group soldier lay on the floor, her eyes and lips wide open. 

Michael knelt down to try her pulse. “She’s dead.” He sighed. “I knew her. She looked after Sienna.”

Panic lit up Mira’s features. “Do you think the rebels took her?” 

“I don’t know,” he admitted.

“I swear to god, if they hurt her, I’ll kill every last one of them.”

As Mira started muttering threats under her breath, Reynolds took in the small room. His eyes traced the walls, the ceiling, all of it.

“I think this was my room,” he said. Mira and Michael looked over at him. “Before I left for Terra Nova. This was where I lived. I remember the cracks in the wall. They looked like an angry face, used to creep me out.” He glanced up the wall opposite the bed, where there were indeed some angry looking shapes in the paintwork.

Mira’s eyes glanced down from the cracks, onto the many posters and paintings that decorated the wall. “Oh, my god.” She picked one off the wall. It looked like her and Sienna, underneath a rainbow, surrounded by trees. “Is this…”

“She drew you a lot. Looks like she still does,” Michael said, noticing the many new drawings scattered across the walls. He noticed one on the opposite wall. Pulling it off carefully, Sienna had drawn two men. One in military combats, the other in a lab coat. Their stick figure faces bore happy smiles. Could it be him and Lucas? 

“She knows what trees and rainbows look like,” Mark commented. “I didn’t know what a rainbow looked like until I got to Terra Nova. Embarrassingly enough.” 

“She was looked after well,” Michael added, putting down the drawing. “They never hurt her as far as I know. I hope the same is true of my kid.”

“I’m sure it is,” Mark said. “I mean, they  _ are _ evil. But they never hurt me either when I was here.”

Michael frowned, thinking back to months previously when he would come back from fighting to hear the pained screams and yells of grown men coming from Nichol’s office. It wasn’t beneath her to hurt the people who worked for her, but children? He hoped Mark was right. 

Suddenly, Michael paused, holding out his hand to quiet the others. He could hear something. Footsteps? Yes. They all heard it. Michael raised his weapon cautiously, preparing for a fight. Gently he opened the door to see who was coming. 

He froze. 

He saw her immediately. At first he thought it was his mind playing tricks on him. He was just thinking about her, missing her, and his brain was fooling him again like it did back in Terra Nova. 

But it  _ was _ her. In the flesh. She was  _ here _ .

Alicia Washington. She was walking towards him, a small group of men and women behind her. She saw him from the other end of the corridor. Her dark eyes widened, her lips parting in surprise. Then she found her voice:

“Michael?!” she cried.

He stepped forward. “Alicia?” His voice cracked. “Is that really you?”

She put her pistol in her holster and started darting through the corridor towards him. 

He ran for her, swinging his rifle onto his back. He couldn’t run fast enough, his heart pounding, his mind racing. She met him in the middle, throwing her arms around him, crying, laughing. He wrapped his arms around her waist, raising her up slightly, squeezing her slim form tightly. The warmth of her body was welcome against his. For the first time in a year, they were  _ really _ together. She was here, awake and embracing him. He almost couldn’t believe it. Tears formed in his eyes. 

He pulled back, running a hand through her hair and across her cheek. He held her face, looking into those beautiful eyes for the first time in a long time, taking in all those lines and features he had missed so much, and then he kissed her. He’d almost forgotten what she felt like, tasted like. His heart was on fire. She kissed him back fervently, a tear running down her cheek. 

She pulled away, smiling. He hadn’t seen her smile that much, maybe ever. He was speechless. All he could do was laugh. Smile and laugh and stare at her. 

“How did you get here?” she asked. “I thought you went back to Terra Nova.”

Michael glanced back at Mira and Mark who were watching somewhat awkwardly. “We came through the portal downstairs.”

“There’s a portal here?” a woman behind Wash said with astonishment. 

Michael stared at the people behind Wash. They were all wearing dark clothing, armed with rudimentary weapons. They were clearly not Phoenix Group. “You’re with the rebels?” he said, perplexed.

“I joined them after I escaped. They’re helping me find…”

“Our son.” He smiled briefly. “That’s why we’re here too.”

“Do you know where he is?”

Michael shook his head. He took her hands. “Li, I’m so sorry. I wanted to wake you up more than anything. But they said we couldn’t. And then I left you and our son.” He frowned deeply. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that alone.”

She shook her head. “It’s okay, Michael. I understand. And I wasn’t always alone. Your father is the one who told me about our son.”

He furrowed his brow, confused. “My father’s here?”

Wash nodded. “He’s with Lucas. We split up while I went looking for the baby. We have to find him, Michael.”

“I know. We will.” He took hold of his rifle again. “Come with us.”

* * *

“Where the hell are you taking us?” an angry voice barked from behind as Lucas took them to a door.

“You’ll see.” He typed in the code and opened the door to a conference room.

It was empty.

“What is this?” the guy snapped, looking around angrily. “There’s no one here.”

“This is the last place I knew she’d been,” Lucas explained, shrugging. “Having a meeting with my other employers.”

The rebel man shoved him to the floor. “Son of a bitch, we’re not in the mood for games.” He aimed his gun at Lucas before cocking it.

“Cruz!” Taylor cautioned, stepping in front of Lucas, blocking him. 

“Who’s side are you on, old man?” Cruz rasped. “Don’t make me shoot the both of you.”

Their attention was unexpectedly redirected to the sound of a loud rumble outside. An explosion. 

“What the hell was that?”

Lucas smirked from his landing spot on the floor. “Reinforcements. They’ll be here any minute.”

The rebels looked at each other nervously. They scurried for the windows, watching the black smoke billow up from below.

“There’s a lot of them.”

“We can’t lose control of the building!” yelled Cruz. He was panicking. 

While Cruz and the other rebels were muttering nervously to each other, Taylor looked down at his son on the floor and offered him a hand, which Lucas promptly refused. He laboriously pulled himself up, grunting in pain. 

It wasn’t long before they heard the gunshots echoing through the building. Cruz instructed his people to fight. They charged into the corridor, firing their weapons. The sound was deafening. 

As the rebels ran into battle, Lucas let himself drop into one of the conference room chairs. He glimpsed his father watching him. “Aren’t you going to help your new friends?” he asked with contempt, slumping back in the chair.

“No, I’m going to keep an eye on you,” Taylor said, placing his weapon by his side.

“Oh good,” Lucas said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Lucky me. Could you at least untie me?”

After a moment of hesitation, Taylor cautiously pulled out his knife and cut through Lucas’ bonds. Lucas rubbed the sore skin around his wrist while Taylor stepped back again. 

He purposely avoided his father, but his presence was like an unbearable irritance, burrowing under Lucas’ skin and making him want to explode. He was angry. Not long ago, Lucas had the upper hand. He had him right where he wanted him. He was going to make him  _ pay _ . Nichol ruined that for him and now here the Commander was, convincing complete strangers to fight with him. He had made a fool of Lucas once again.

Why did he always have to win? 

“You can’t hate me forever,” Taylor said after what seemed like several minutes of nothing but the violent gunfire outside of the room. “Eventually, you’ll have to stop all this. You’ll realise what you’re doing is wrong. I raised you to - ”

“You didn’t raise me,” Lucas growled, cutting him off. “You raised Michael. To be your perfect little doppelganger. Mom raised me; she knew Michael and I were different. She saw me for who I was, not what you wanted me to be. She was perfect. And she’s gone because of you.”

Lucas closed his eyes, seeing Ayani again. Her warm smile. He could still hear her soothing voice. He could hear it turn to screams. He could hear her crying. The blood. He swiped at his tears before they could fall.  _ Make it stop _ , he thought desperately. He could never make it stop.

“I know you think I blame you for her death. I don’t.”

Lucas scoffed. “Of course you do. Michael does.”

“Lucas, you were just a boy. It wasn’t your fault.”

His son shook his head, leaning over the desk. “Don’t give me that. I saw it in your eyes. Every single day. I wasn’t enough, I was never enough...You’d rather I died than her.”

Taylor’s mouth hung open, appalled. “That’s not true.” He stepped closer, putting a hand on his son’s shoulder. 

Lucas shook him off violently. He jumped to his feet, sending the chair toppling. “Don’t touch me!” he roared. “Just don’t!”

Taylor put his hands up and stepped away. It was probably for the best. Last time he let his guard down, he ended up with Lucas’ knife in his side. 

Lucas was breathing heavily, his eyes red with moisture. He was desperately trying to calm down, to not seem so weak. 

“I want you to know I’m sorry,” Taylor said. That grabbed Lucas’ attention. He blinked, looking over at Taylor. “I didn’t blame you for what happened. I blamed myself. I shut down. I didn’t take care of you boys like I should have and I couldn’t forgive myself for that.” He paused, swallowing back his emotion, narrowing his eyes at Lucas. “I took my anger out on you. I wasn’t there for you.” He looked around. “Meeting Nichol, seeing where this all started, it made me realise how badly I failed as your father.”

There was a long silence as Lucas stared at him, like he couldn’t believe The Great Commander was finally admitting to his failures. This was new and unprecedented. He wasn’t quite sure how to react. Isn’t this what he had wanted since he was a kid? For his dad to just admit how badly he messed up, instead of looking at him with the same disdain as he did since Lucas was fourteen years old?

Unfortunately, the rift between father and son could not be so easily repaired.

“Apologies mean nothing now. It’s too late.”

Taylor sighed, defeated. It was then two of the rebels retreated back inside the conference room. 

“There’s too many of them!” one of them cried. “Taylor, we need your help!”

The Commander grabbed his gun and followed them out into the corridor. Lucas could hear firing and yells as the fight continued. He slowly peered out from the room, watching as his father and the remaining rebels opened fire on their enemy. While they were busy, he decided to make his escape. He started running in the other direction.

His father, seeing this, stopped shooting and instead fell back to chase after him.

“LUCAS!”

Lucas kept running. If his father really wanted to stop him, he’d have to shoot him. But damn, the old man was fast, and seconds later he had dived on top of Lucas, causing them both to collapse to the floor. 

Furiously, Taylor picked his son up and threw him against the wall. 

“Alright, alright,” Lucas conceded. He could tell when he was beat. “I know where your grandson is.” 

Taylor’s grip on him loosened, his angry expression softening. 

“I’ll take you to him.”

Taylor paused for a second, then shoved him down the corridor. “Show me.”


	24. Chapter 24

**2150**

“So let me get this straight,” Mags, one of Wash’s rebel allies, began with bewilderment as they walked through the corridors, searching room by room. “You had a kid together, but neither of you have met him? This Nichol woman has had him all along?”

Wash and Michael exchanged a look.

“I’m still getting used to the idea of it,” admitted Alicia. “I only just found out he existed...I was so confused when I woke up.” She looked down, ashamed. “I can’t believe I just left him.”

“Hey,” Michael put a hand on her back comfortingly. “You didn’t know. You’d been out for so long. Lucas said it was surprising you were walking around at all. I just wish I had done more to take care of you both…”

“Yeah, yeah. We’ve all got guilt,” said Mira, rolling her eyes. “Can we just concentrate on finding them?”

Michael kept typing in the code, peering into rooms, but most were empty. 

Eventually, they came across another group of rebels. There were five Phoenix Group soldiers in the middle of them who had been taken as prisoners. They looked up at Michael as they approached..

“Captain Taylor?”

They all looked at him, confused. 

“ _ Captain Taylor _ , huh?” a short rebel man repeated distastefully. “You the Commander’s son? The military one?”

Michael nodded uneasily.

“The one who helped fight against us?  _ That _ one?” the man continued angrily, raising his rifle.

“Easy, Tony!” Mags promptly put his gun down and called for calm. “He’s Alicia’s babydaddy. He’s on our side now. We promised Alicia we’d help her.” 

Tony groaned and lowered his gun. He looked at Wash. “Fine, but the only reason he’s not joining these low-life Nazis is because you’ve been a great ally to us. We wouldn’t have got this far if it wasn’t for you.”

Wash smiled appreciatively at him. “Thanks, Tony.”

“Is that true, Captain?” one of the soldiers asked despondently from his pitiful place on the floor. “You changed sides?”

“I was only ever on one side,” Michael said after a brief pause, looking at Alicia. She smiled at him.

The soldiers appeared betrayed, muttering under their breaths. Michael was probably the only one who felt sorry for them. Ironically, they all probably wanted the same thing - to keep their families safe.

Their attention turned to the explosions outside. They ran over to the window, seeing the flames down below. 

“What’s happening?” asked Mags.

More of the rebels started coming over to the window, scrutinising the activity outside. Michael noticed the Phoenix Group soldiers start to get down low. He took a step back, his attention returning to the window where a drone had flown towards them. The rebels looked at it, perplexed. 

“GET DOWN!” Michael screamed. He grabbed Wash and bowled her over as gunfire exploded from the drone, smashing through the windows and shooting several of the rebels. Michael shielded Wash from the shattered glass and gunfire as a dead Tony dropped next to them. 

Once the drone stopped firing, the soldiers grabbed their discarded weapons and started shooting at them. The remaining rebels returned fire. Mark and Mira had already backed up to cover whilst Wash pulled Michael up from the floor. 

Noticing one of the soldiers aiming for his former captain, Wash quickly fired her pistol, killing the attacker. She pulled Michael back down the corridor, the both of them shooting their weapons defensively. 

They retreated back round the corner. They quickly realised, however, that they were not alone. Mark and Mira already had their hands up, surrendering to the Phoenix Group soldiers ahead of them. They were outnumbered.

Dropping their weapons, Michael and Wash slowly raised their arms up. 

* * *

“Where are you taking me?” Taylor demanded as they finally got to the ground floor.

“Nichol has an underground facility just below EdenCorp,” Lucas explained, opening the door to the hallway. “It’s the safest place in the building. If she’s still here, she’s bound to have taken the children there.”

Taylor looked at him through narrow eyes. He still had his gun poised, in case Lucas tried anything, but he kept following. The two paused briefly at the sight of the many bodies that littered the charred foyer. Soldiers from both sides. Taylor lowered his gaze morosely. 

“This way,” Lucas continued. He took his father to the end of the hallway, to what looked like a storage closet. He typed in the code and swung the door open to reveal an elevator. 

Taylor hesitated. He frowned at Lucas.

“This another trap?” he said angrily.

“Trust me,” Lucas said. “You’ll want to know what’s down there.”

Taylor didn’t look convinced, but he got in the elevator anyway. They were silent during the ride down. When the doors opened what seemed like ages later, Taylor wasn’t surprised to see that there were soldiers waiting at the bottom, surrounding him. 

He threw his gun to the ground and put up his hands while Lucas smirked and entered the room freely. Taylor’s glare followed Lucas into the room where his eyes locked on to the portal terminus behind him.

“You...have a terminus here?” 

Lucas looked back at the terminus. “We have a  _ portal _ ,” he said smugly while his father was put in restraints. “The one  _ you _ cut off. We have control of it again.”

Taylor’s face fell. “So you can invade Terra Nova now. Have you made contact with Michael? Or Shannon?”

Lucas was about to answer when one of the men spoke up.

“Actually, Captain Taylor is here. He passed through the portal a while ago now.”

“What?” Lucas and the Commander said together.

“Michael is here?” Taylor added.

“With two others,” the private replied. “I didn’t recognise them. But they were looking for Nichol. Then they went to find the children.”

Lucas appeared frustrated. “The kids - where have they been taken?”

“I’m not sure,” the soldier replied nervously. “Did I do something wrong?”

“We’ll see…” Lucas contemplated. What was Michael’s game? Surely he would have known it was a suicide mission to retrieve his son now? On the other hand, perhaps the rebel attack might have worked in his favour. “Does Nichol know about this?”

“I do now.” Her piercing voice echoed through the room, sending a shudder down Lucas’ spine. They all turned to see her on the other side of the room, placing her fur coat and rebreather down on one of the desks. She had clearly just come back from wherever she had retreated to during the attack, only returning once it was safe.

Lucas couldn’t say anything. He only stared at her as she made her way over, her eyes narrowing on Taylor. 

“Shame my little game failed,” she sighed. “I hadn’t bargained on the rebellion actually  _ siding  _ with you.” She chuckled. “Desperate times call for desperate measures, I suppose.” She turned to Lucas, who was breathing harder. “Lucas, I’ll let you kill him. Just like you wanted.”

Lucas stared at her, disbelief in his wide green eyes. Was she serious? It felt like everyone was staring at him, waiting to see what he would do.

“Come on!” Nichol rolled her eyes. “You’ve been moaning this entire time about getting to kill him. So do it, won’t you? Then he’ll be out of the way for good.”

Slowly, Lucas went to pick up the pistol his father had dropped moments previously. He pointed it at the Commander’s head, his heavy brows knitted together in concentration. 

This was it.

Taylor glared back at him. “If you’re gonna do it, boy, do it. I ain’t gonna stop you. I ain’t gonna beg.”

The gun trembled in his hands. He couldn’t stop it. He slowed his breathing, preparing to pull the trigger. He thought about his mother and how he had to watch as they tortured and killed her. He thought about every moment with his father after that. That look. The look he was giving him now. He re-lived it all, so his brain told him to shoot.

But he couldn’t.

“You can’t do it, can you?” Nichol taunted from behind him. “You’re all bark and no bite, Lucas. Disappointing.”

Her words broke him out of a spell. “I CAN DO IT!” he yelled furiously, surprising her. “It’s just... _ too easy _ like this.” He nodded at one of the soldiers. “Untie him.”

Nichol rolled her eyes as one of the soldiers undid Taylor’s bonds. 

“Okay,” Lucas said, mind racing. “Fight me.”

Taylor was confused. “You have the gun. I’m unarmed.”

Lucas threw the gun away. “Fight for your life, old man.” 

Lucas hit first, missing, which Taylor used as an opportunity to grab his torso and knee him in the gut. Lucas doubled over and Taylor pushed him onto the floor. 

“You can’t outdo me in a fist fight, son.”

Lucas growled and launched at him, sending them both flying. Scientists dodged out the way, protecting their work.

“May I remind you that there is extremely expensive equipment!” Nichol chastised. She waved her hands in the air, exasperated. “Men,” she muttered as they ignored her.

Lucas threw punches left and right, leering over his father furiously. He hit Taylor a couple times, but the Commander recovered quickly, wrapping his arms around Lucas’ torso and pulling him down to roll him over. He pinned Lucas down, striking him across the face, causing his son’s previously acquired cuts to reopen and stain Taylor’s fists with his blood. When Lucas tried to push him off, he dealt another blow, hitting the nose and almost breaking it. Lucas cried out in pain. 

“Is this what you wanted, Lucas?” Taylor barked. “It won’t bring her back!”

Lucas’ breaths were fast, his vision blurred. He reached up to push him off, but Taylor grabbed his wrists. How was he still so strong? He could just about make out his father’s angry features above him. 

“If you need to hate me, fine, but you’re self-destructing, Lucas. I didn’t want this for you.”

Lucas fought against his father’s iron grip, but gradually slowed his efforts; he could have sworn there were tears forming in his father’s eyes.

“I think about that day all the time,” Taylor admitted soberly. “I think about the million things I could have done differently. I hear your mother begging me to choose you. And now, seeing what you’ve become…” He paused, watching Lucas’ petulant frown below him. “I wouldn’t have chosen differently. She wanted you to live.  _ I _ wanted you to live. Because you’re my son. Mine and Ayani’s. You’re  _ our _ son.”

Lucas trembled, trying to suppress his own emotions. It was exhausting. Hating him, fighting him. Trying to kill him. It was all he had done for so long, he didn’t know how to do or feel anything else. 

But recently, he  _ was _ starting to feel  _ something _ . It began with Skye. She made him feel something other than hatred, other than rejection and loneliness. She unlocked something he had sealed away long ago. Then the kids, whose presence he had first abhorred, had ironically come to mean more to him than he would admit. Whatever was unlocked had grown and was getting harder to contain.

He couldn’t accept this. He pushed the Commander off of him and wobbled to his feet, his mind racing. If he couldn’t finish this by killing Taylor, then how else would he end it? His sole purpose was to exact revenge on the man who ruined his life. If that was threatened, then what purpose did he have? How else could he make everything right?

“Alright, break it up,” ordered Nichol, yawning. “I’m bored of this now. I’ll do it myself.”

She pulled out her own pistol as the soldiers dragged Taylor and Lucas apart. Lucas stared off into nothingness, void of emotion, as if in a trance as they stood Taylor up and restrained him. Nichol aimed and…

A voice came over her comm. She sighed with annoyance and answered. “This is Nichol….really? Okay. Send them down.” She put down her pistol and smiled at the two Taylor men. “I think this reunion is missing someone,” she said. 

Taylor and Lucas looked towards the elevator as the doors opened and several people entered the room. 

Michael, Wash, Mark and Mira were all forced out of the elevator at gunpoint. As soon as Michael walked in, he clocked his father and brother. His apprehensive gaze lingered on his father as he remembered their last interaction. Michael remembered pushing him into the fracture, into the hands of the enemy. The Commander’s steely expression was impenetrable. The corporal lowered his head shamefully.

“All my children have returned home!” Nichol beamed, watching as her former spies gathered in the centre of the room. “Welcome back.”

“We don’t work for you anymore,” Mark retorted with a cold glare. 

She looked at him with some sort of mock tenderness. “Mark Reynolds. One of our first experiments.” She came closer, examining his face. “You’ve grown so much.” She touched his cheek and he batted away her hand. She didn’t look offended. “When we found you, you were so lost. I helped you, didn’t I? Look at you now. We made you into the strong, good-mannered, intelligent man you are today.” Her expression fell. “And then you abandoned us.”

Mark looked like he wanted to punch her, his jaw going rigid and his eyes narrowing at her. He tried to avoid the Commander’s confused and curious expression as Nichol exposed his true nature to his friends and colleagues.

Nichol turned her attention to the others. “All of you. I gave you a second chance.”

“Terra Nova was our second chance!” Michael asserted loudly. “It’s our home, and you’re threatening it.”

Nichol turned to Michael, looking disappointed. “Michael, you’re a good fighter, but crappy at following instructions. If you had just done what I’d asked then I would have given you everything you wanted.”

“Liar,” spat Mira. “You promised us our families. I demand to see my daughter.”

Nichol looked at Mira for a few moments, a deep frown on her wrinkled lips. “Fine. The children have been with me. I told you I would keep them safe.” She spoke into her comm. “Bring her out.”

A few moments later and one of the guards walked into the room, leading a young girl by the arm. They walked towards Mira.

The change in Mira was striking. Her demeanor softened almost instantly upon seeing her daughter, her eyes wide and wet with tearful disbelief. “Sienna?” She looked at the girl with trepidation, nervous of her reaction. 

The girl halted when she saw Mira. At first she seemed a little startled, her mouth hanging open, little eyes staring at the mother she hadn’t seen in years. Then, a look of pure excitement: “Mommy?”

Mira burst into tears, nodding. “I’m here, baby.”

Sienna ran as fast as she could into her mother’s arms. Mira stooped low to scoop her up and squeeze her tightly. 

Michael watched, mesmerised. He couldn’t think of a time where he’d seen Mira cry this much - or just generally seem so human. 

Mira pulled back to take her daughter in, her eyes, her nose, her mouth, her little ears. She placed her hands on either side of her face. “You got so big, baby!” 

Sienna grinned. “I knew you’d come back. I knew it! I missed you so much!” She grabbed on to Mira again. 

Mira held her close, burying her face in her hair, stroking her. “I missed you too. I’m here, Sienna. I’m never leaving you again.”

“It brings me joy to see you two together again after so long apart,” Nichol said, seemingly moved by the reunion. “And Mira, I thank you for your years of service. Despite many setbacks, I can’t fault your loyalty. I release you from your obligations. You can go free with your daughter.”

Mira stood, Sienna clinging to her leg. She glared at Nichol. “I want to take her home.” She paused, looking back towards the terminus. “I want to take her to Terra Nova.”

Nichol looked intrigued by the response. “If you’re sure.” She nodded at the scientists. “Let her go.”

A man in a lab coat started typing into a console by the terminus and the portal lit up. Mira started taking Sienna towards it when the little girl broke away, surprising her. She ran straight for Lucas Taylor, wrapping her arms around his hips and hugging him tightly.

Everyone looked stunned, most of all Lucas. After a second, he put his hands on her shoulders, returning the embrace awkwardly. 

“I hope you change your mind about coming back,” she said cheerfully. “You and Michael and your daddy can all be happy again in Terra Nova.”

Lucas didn’t say anything. He glanced at Michael who returned his cryptic gaze with a perplexed look. It was baffling for him to see anyone, particularly Mira’s own daughter, pay his brother affection like this. But there was clearly an established relationship between the two, whether intended or not. 

Sienna looked over at Michael, smiling. He smiled back at her, a little taken aback. Sienna let go of Lucas and they watched as she rejoined her mother by the portal. 

Mira glanced back at the Taylor men. Michael nodded at her. He understood. She stared at him a second longer, then took her daughter’s hand and walked through the portal. They were gone.

As soon as they disappeared, Michael looked back at Lucas curiously. Just how much had changed since he had been away? How had he got a little girl to care for him like that? The man was full of complexities he knew he had no hope of figuring out.

“What about our son?” Wash spoke up suddenly. “Where is he?”

“Lieutenant Washington,” smirked Nichol. “I’m impressed to see you looking so well after everything you’ve been through.”

“You mean everything  _ you _ put me through” Wash snapped.

“You mean saving your life? Ensuring the safe delivery of your baby?” Nichol’s red lips pouted. “You should be grateful.”

“Shut up,” Wash growled. “I want to see him.”

“Fine,” Nichol said. She turned to another one of her guards. “Take the lieutenant to see her son. A mother deserves to meet her own child.” 

The guard began escorting her. Michael instinctively began to follow when Nichol stopped him.

“Just the lieutenant for now, Michael. There’s still some things we need to clear up.”

Wash shot Michael a quick look before she was escorted away. He didn’t take his eyes off her until she was completely out of sight. 

Nichol stared at all of them for an uneasy amount of time. Her silence proved frustrating and, just as Michael was about to say something, she barked her next order.

“O’Brien, shoot Reynolds.”

Mark looked stunned. 

The soldier, O’Brien, was hesitant. 

“Wait a minute,” Taylor protested.

But before he could say anything more the gun had gone off and the bullet had hit Reynolds in the chest. His body dropped to the hard floor. No yells of surprise or screams of pain. Just silence.

Michael looked on with horror, shaking, as he watched his friend die instantly. Taylor was speechless, jaw hanging open. Lucas looked away. 

Michael trembled, turning back to Nichol with disgust. “Why would you do that?” he demanded.

“Why wouldn’t I? He’s no use to me now.” She looked over at Mark’s body, a hint of regret in her expression. “I admit, I did have a soft spot for Mark. But he wasn’t the only child we took under our wing. He clearly had no loyalty to the people who made him what he is. That makes him a threat. Just like all of you. That’s why we’re going to play a game.”

Michael scowled at her. His breathing increased rapidly as he clenched his fists together. He thought he couldn’t hate her any more at that moment, but what she did next proved him wrong.

“Commander, pick up that pistol,” she instructed, indicating to the discarded gun on the floor. Taylor looked perplexed. But as the soldiers aimed their rifles at him, it was clear he had no choice. He bent down to pick up the gun, then looked at Nichol expectantly. She smiled dangerously. “Good. Now, shoot one of your boys.”

All three Taylor men stared at her, confused and horrified.

“What?” the Commander said, sickened.

“I want you to choose. One of them to live, one of them to die.”

There was a beat of horrified silence.

Lucas glared daggers at her. “I remained loyal to you. I did everything you asked! Everything you wanted me to!”

“Did you?” she said doubtfully. “Was releasing the Lieutenant ‘remaining loyal’ to me? Was sneaking around to visit your nephew every day, against my wishes, being loyal? Was communicating with your brother behind my back?” 

Lucas bit his tongue, dropping his gaze angrily to the floor.

“Face it, Lucas. You’re an emotional car crash. I can’t trust you any more than I can trust your idiot brother.”

“You need me!” he yelled fiercely. “You couldn’t have done any of this without me!”

“Maybe so,” Nichol said thoughtfully. “But you’ve played your part. I have everything I want now. It’s just your damn family standing in my way. Well, that and Jim Shannon, which leads me to your stupid twin brother.”

Her gaze fell on to Michael, who was glowering at her, about to explode. 

“Michael, I wanted to like you. Up until now, your brother had been a valuable asset and I hoped you could be as useful. But, just like him, you let your emotions get the better of you. You can’t even follow instructions to save your family. I’ll do you a favour and let Lieutenant Washington and your child live, but you’re less of an asset to me now.”

“Stop,” Taylor interrupted. “Just stop. Nichol, you’ve won. Why do you need to play these games? I’m the one you wanted. You manipulated my boys to bring me here. Well, here I am. Just kill me and have it done with!”

She smirked. “Oh, I will. It’s just more fun this way.”

“You monster,” Michael snarled. “Do you have no empathy? No decency? Have you never had family?”

“Of course I have!” she revealed defensively. “I had a family. I had a daughter, a granddaughter,” she softened slightly. “Emilie. She would have been Sienna’s age now. She was so...full of life. Kind, caring.” Her expression hardened again. “But this world and all the terrible things in it killed her. And the grief killed my daughter. I know what it’s like to lose people I love,  _ Corporal _ . All the money in the world can’t bring them back. But it can help to make this world a little more bearable.” She looked back at Taylor. “Now choose. Or I’ll kill them both. You made this choice before, Commander. You can do it again.”

Taylor shook his head, visibly disturbed by the choice given to him. “No. I won’t. Don’t make me do this,” he pleaded. 

Lucas looked over at Michael, then at his father holding the gun unsteadily.

“Shoot me,” he said.

Taylor stared at him, stunned. “What?”

“Just shoot me,” he repeated. “After everything I’ve done, you have no reason to save me anyway. Michael’s got a life. A family. He was always meant to live.  _ I wasn’t _ .” He looked down, shaking his head solemnly. “I know Mom wanted me to, but she was wrong. I should have died instead of her. Most of the time I wish I had.” He looked up at his father again, a grave expression on his worn and bloody face. “You should have chosen her, not me, and you should choose Michael now.”

“No,” Taylor whispered. “No matter what you’ve done, I won’t. I won’t do this.”

“Believe me, I wanted things to end much differently,” Lucas said ironically. “But when it comes down to me and Michael, it has to be Michael.”

“Lucas, stop it,” Michael said. “Shut up.” This was a far cry from a year ago when Lucas had threatened to sacrifice Michael if it meant getting what he wanted. But he also knew Lucas had a total disregard for his own life, practically encouraging the likes of Skye or their father to shoot him in the past. Michael thought it was because he had been willing to die for his cause. But was this the real reason? Because he truly did believe he should have been the one to be executed? The thought made him sick. 

“You heard the woman,” argued Lucas. “I’ve outlived my usefulness. I have nowhere to go and I will  _ not _ go through what I went through with our mother again. I have to die.” He turned to Taylor. “ _ Shoot me _ . If you want to make things right, that’s what you have to do.”

After a long, painful moment, Taylor slowly raised the gun, his eyes gleaming. 

Lucas relaxed himself, preparing for the impact of the bullet. He wasn’t afraid.

Michael watched with horror and revulsion. “Dad, no!” he cried.

The Commander pointed the gun at Lucas, blocking out the cries of protest from his other son. A million things ran through his mind but for some reason, the day his sons were born popped into his mind. He remembered it so vividly. Ayani, through all the pain and stress of labour, was beautiful and strong as ever. She made the delivery look easy. Michael was first. Then ten minutes later Lucas came along. It was the happiest day of his life. He had been given two healthy, handsome boys. 

Later that day, holding his youngest son, Taylor promised to never let any harm come to him. Lucas, so harmless and innocent then, grabbed onto Taylor’s finger. He’d forgotten about that moment. That promise and how much he had failed at keeping it. He’d been failing him ever since he was born.

Taylor closed his eyes, remembering his words from before. Lucas was his son. His and Ayani’s. He always would be. 

He couldn’t do this. He lowered the gun.

“I won’t choose. They’re my boys.” He looked up at Nichol, defeated. “Kill me however you want, but...spare them.”

“That wasn’t part of the game,” lamented Nichol, irritated. “Forget it, let’s just get this over with. Shoot them all.”

The soldiers raised their weapons, but before they could pull their triggers they were knocked down by a sonic blast. 

The Taylors looked over, stunned, to see Mark Reynolds standing - alive and well - with a sonic rifle. He pulled the earlier bullet from his dented armour and threw it to the floor. “That hurt,” he remarked sourly. 

Michael grinned widely to see Reynolds was okay. There wasn’t much time to voice his relief before more bullets started flying. He ducked. The remaining few Phoenix Group opened fire. The scientists fled for cover. Taylor did the same, firing back with his pistol as Mark continued hitting the enemy with sonic waves.

Michael looked over to where Nichol had been, but she was gone. He quickly retrieved a rifle from one of the soldiers and went to find Wash. 

He found her in another room, noticing the back of her head as she leaned over a crib. Before he could do anything, the guard with her grabbed hold of him, pinning him against the wall and forcing him to drop his weapon. They struggled for a few seconds. That’s when Wash picked the rifile up from the floor and smacked the guard in the head with it. He blacked out, slumping to the floor. 

Alicia dropped the gun as Michael stared at her, catching his breath. She smiled at him through tears.

“Michael, he’s beautiful.”

She turned back to the crib, picking up the baby and holding him closely to her chest. She showed him to Michael. The baby’s large green eyes found him. He bore a toothless grin, babbling happily. A perfect, chubby little miracle. 

Michael was speechless. His heart suddenly lifted, along with all his pain and anxiety. This was his son. Finally. Pools of moisture filled his eyes. 

Alicia gently handed the baby over to him, wiping away her own tears. The boy was heavier than he imagined. But he felt amazing. He stared up at Michael, smiling with round, dimpled cheeks. Oblivious to the violence that was going on outside. Michael couldn’t describe this feeling...this connection. He was instantly overwhelmed with it. He knew he loved this kid more than he could ever love anyone. 

He looked over at Alicia, blinking away tears, and he laughed. She smiled at him, her dark eyes glimmering. 

The sounds of gunfire took them out of their happy trance. The looks of joy faded into something more sombre. They had to get out of there. Michael exhaled deeply, then nodded at Alicia. She picked up the rifles, handing one to Michael. 

“I’ll cover you,” she said.

Alicia went out first. She fired her weapon skillfully. The soldiers that were left had retreated behind desks and other equipment. They were not skilled or brave enough to fight back properly, so the Terra Novans had the upper hand. They just had to make sure they didn’t get hit. 

Michael followed close behind. He had never held onto something more tightly as the infant started fussing in his arms. His heart was racing. All he knew was that he had to get his son out safely. 

A small sonic blast tripped him up, causing him to fall backwards. He dropped his weapon, choosing to protect the baby with both arms as he landed on his backside. He recovered quickly, looking up as he saw Nichol clip-clopping towards him in her high heels, pointing a pistol at him. She looked furious.

“Sonic pistol,” she said bitterly. “Much like the one that nearly killed your beloved Washington. Don’t make me use it on your dear son too.”

Michael covered the baby as much as possible. “Please. Just let us go. You don’t have to do this.”

“Yes I do,” she spat arrogantly. “I’m so close to having everything...why should  _ you _ get a happy ending?” She raised the pistol, anger flashing in her bloodshot eyes. “I’m doing this for Emilie,” she whispered tragically. 

Michael turned away, protecting his son, when Nichol stopped. She dropped her gun, her eyes wide and panicked. Blood spurted from her neck. Then she fell. 

Michael looked over to see Wash lowering her weapon, breathing heavily. She looked down at Nichol’s body coldly. Then she ran over to Michael and pulled him up. 

“You okay?” she asked him, checking on the baby too. 

Michael looked down at Miranda Nichol, bleeding out on the floor. He nodded. “Get us out of here.”

“With pleasure.”

Taylor was by the lit portal, ushering Mark through. He was calling for Wash and Michael, firing at the enemy as he did so. They headed over to him when Michael noticed Lucas hiding behind an overturned desk.

He took hold of Alicia. “Go, take the baby,” he yelled over the loud noises, handing the child over to her. “I’ll be right behind you.”

She hesitated for a second, looking back and forth between both of his pupils. “You better be!” she shouted back. She smiled at him, then ran for the portal. Taylor covered her, then helped her through. She was there one second, gone the next. Back towards home where she belonged.

Michael ran for Lucas, diving next to him behind the desk. “Lucas, Nichol is dead,” he explained. “It’s over. You have to come back with us.”

Lucas shook his head. “Back there? With  _ him _ ? I can’t.”

“You said it yourself, you have nowhere else to go! I want you to come back.”

“I can’t go back there,” said Lucas. “You don’t und-”

“Don’t you dare tell me I don’t understand” Michael yelled over the gunshots. “You know I do more than anyone. When I left, I felt exactly like you did. But I came back and they accepted me - eventually. They’ll forgive you too.”

“I don’t want their forgiveness!” snapped Lucas impatiently. “I’m not like them. Or you. I don’t belong there! It represents everything I’ve hated for so long.”

“Let it go, Lucas. There’s no point fighting anymore. Terra Nova is your home.” 

“It never was! Just leave me! I’ll be fine.”

Michael swore under his breath. He looked around him. There were just a few soldiers left now. His dad had found good cover by the portal, but it wouldn’t last much longer. They were running out of options. Michael looked at his stubborn brother, shielding himself from the bullets. He’d rather stay here and get shot at then go back home. He sighed. “I didn’t want to tell you this, Lucas, but Skye...she asked about you.” As soon as he spoke her name Lucas lifted his head, a curious look in his eye. “She was worried about you. I think, deep down, in some weird way, she loves you, Lucas. I didn’t want to believe it but she does. She’s waiting for us. Just on the other side of that portal. You could see her again if you wanted to. You could make things right with her.” 

He had Lucas’ attention then. “Bucket,” he murmured softly. His eyes looked in deep thought. Michael could see he was considering it.

“Michael!” Taylor yelled. “We need to go now!”

Michael grabbed onto Lucas. “Look, you asked me to go through that portal with you a year ago and I did.  _ I chose you _ . I followed you here. Now I’m asking you to do the same. Whatever’s on the other side, we’ll figure it out together. I won’t leave you alone.”

Lucas still didn’t look convinced. But he did look defeated. He exhaled deeply, nodding at Michael. Michael immediately got to his feet, making sure they were good to go. He jumped out of their hiding spot, firing, indicating for Lucas to follow him. They got to the portal, their father yelling at them to hurry. 

But it was too late. 

“TAYLOR!”

All three of them turned their heads to see Nichol limping towards them. She looked half dead, covered in blood, one hand on her neck trying to stem the flow of the red liquid pouring out of her. She had never looked so ghoulish, so menacing.

“Insubordinate little shits!” she seethed, raising her gun with the other hand. She fired.

Michael instinctively leapt to protect their father. But, seeing this, Lucas stepped in front of them both. 

The bullet penetrated his stomach, causing him to collapse immediately on top of Michael and forcing them both to fall through the fracture. The electric blue immediately swallowed them. 

“NO!” Taylor fired his gun, hitting Nichol with multiple bullets. She fell to the floor as more blood left her body. 

She was finally still. 


	25. Chapter 25

Michael couldn’t see a thing. Everything was too bright. Too loud. Then, suddenly, he felt his back collide with the earth. He saw the blue sky and the green tree tops above him. He breathed the clean, pure air. He was home.

Then he remembered Lucas and he bolted upright, ignoring the dizziness. Lucas was lying in front of him, holding his stomach, blood seeping through his fingers. 

“No no no no.” Michael crawled over to him, pulling Lucas into his lap. He lifted Lucas’ shirt to reveal the wound. It was deep. “We need help!” 

He raised his head, wondering why everyone was just standing there. Then he realised. The Terra Novans were being held at gunpoint; Hooper and his men had found them. He looked around at his defeated friends and comrades. Reilly, Mark, Boylan. He searched for Alicia. She was safe with the baby, watching gravely from the sidelines. There were some bodies on the floor. Mira was holding onto Sienna tightly.

Hooper stood watching in the centre of them, unmoved. 

“You,” Michael rasped. He searched for the medic but he was unfortunately one of the bodies on the ground. Skye was standing beside his corpse, her face pale. She was watching Lucas. “Skye, please. Help him,” Michael implored.

She looked towards her captor desperately. 

Michael could feel his brother fading. He couldn’t let him die like this. He couldn’t let him be proven right, that he deserved execution, that he had nothing left to live for. For the first time in a long time, Lucas looked paralysed with fear. He couldn’t speak, only managing short gasps of pain. He was in shock. His eyes, large with panic, settled on the peaceful image of the sky above him. A single tear slid down the side of his face. Then his eyelids gently started to close.

Michael turned towards Hooper. “Please let her help him!”

Hooper raised a bored eyebrow, then he nodded at Skye. The soldier guarding her lowered his weapon.

She ran over to Lucas, dropping her bag of medical supplies next to him. She knelt down, searching for some tools, then she looked nervously towards Michael.

He nodded encouragingly at her. He knew she could do this. She pulled back his bloodied shirt, revealing the messy wound underneath, took a deep breath, then got to work. 

Lucas felt the searing pain exploding from inside him. This was somehow worse than the two bullets he had taken a year previously. He felt himself slipping, each limb and body part gradually becoming numb. He was vaguely aware of Michael, lifting his head up, holding him. But his brother soon blurred out of focus. He concentrated on the sky. Blue. It had been a while since he’d seen it. He had taken it for granted back then, but now...now it was soothing. It helped ease the pain.

He knew he was going into shock. His body was shutting down, trying to preserve itself. His brain was fighting, trying to make sense of the agony his body was feeling. The trees swayed above him and he saw himself, a young boy. He was just a kid, climbing a tree, being stupid. He could hear his dad shouting at him. When he looked down, he saw Michael; young like he was, just boys enjoying their youth. He held out his hand for Michael to join him.

But something happened. His foot slipped. He fell. 

His body erupted with pain. He sobbed. His brother was laughing. Then his mother appeared above him, her brunette curls blowing in the wind as she smiled placidly down at him. 

“Lucas, darling. It’s okay. You have to stop crying now.” Her voice echoed in his vision. She held his hand. She had a glow and a calming presence. He let his last few tears drip down his face.

“I’m...sorry,” he managed to say through short gasps of breath. He was an adult again. Still bruised and broken, still bleeding, not wanting to let go of her hand. He wanted to tell her so many things; he wanted to know if she was ashamed, seeing the man he had become, the anger that had guided him here. But he couldn’t bring himself to ask.

“Shh,” she said, soothing him. “You have to stop now.”

She held his cheek in her palm, lightly brushing under his eye with her thumb; he felt her. Felt his skin tingle at her warmth. She comforted him. He didn’t want her to let go. 

But she did; she faded. She was just a memory; a hallucination. A much more pleasant one than he was used to, but a hallucination nonetheless. She vanished and Skye Tate replaced her, appearing above him, willing him to live.

He didn’t know why Skye was helping him, but seeing her seemed to help. 

Skye had pulled out the bullet with her magnetic tweezers, her hands and clothes stained with Lucas’ blood. She then splashed some liquid from a flask onto the wound. Michael watched Lucas wince as the skin gradually healed.

“The scarring inside will take longer to heal,” she explained. “So he’ll be weak, but he should be okay. For now.”

Michael raised his head as if finally able to catch his breath. He locked eyes with his best friend. “Thank you,” he said gratefully. 

Skye smiled uneasily, the fear and apprehension still present in her expression. This was replaced with surprise as she watched Hooper storm over and grab Michael, lifting him to his feet.

“Now tell me. What happened in there?” Hooper growled in Michael’s face. “Where’s Nichol?”

“She’s dead,” the Commander’s voice announced, having just come through the portal which had now been extinguished. “I just killed her.”

Hooper looked mildly annoyed. “Fine. She’s not the only one running this show.” He dropped Michael and headed towards Malcolm. “Light it up again.”

Malcolm pushed some buttons on his console but nothing was happening. “I can’t.”

Immediately, one of Hooper’s men grabbed Malcolm’s neck, pressing a gun to his head.

“Oi, watch it!” Boylan yelled at them, about to intervene when a rifle got pointed at him. He stepped back.

Malcolm raised his hands up, panicked. “I can’t, there’s some kind of interference on their side preventing me from activating the portal!”

“Well we’re gonna wait here until we _can_ activate it!” Hooper screamed. “A damn year in this hell-hole, I’m not gonna let my one chance of getting out of here slip through my fingers!”

“They’re not going to open that portal up any time soon,” Taylor said, frowning at Hooper. “It’s over.”

Hooper sniggered insanely. Michael watched him. He had clearly lost it. He and the rest of his men. They looked it too, wearing a mismatch of their ragged military gear and dishevelled old Sixer clothing. “Nichol’s not the only billionaire to invest in this shitshow. There’s plenty of other deep-pocketed megalomaniacs that want what this place has.”

“Like the thing in the Badlands?” Michael asked. “The monster you want to sell to them?” 

Hooper seemed amused. “It’s the perfect killing machine. I should know. I’ve seen what it’s capable of. Imagine that thing in a war…” he said dreamily, smirking. 

“Monster?” Wash repeated, bemused. She was settling the baby whilst trying to follow the conversation. “What are you talking about?”

“It’s a long story,” Michael admitted. “But it’s not like any other dino we’ve encountered.”

“It’s much worse,” Taylor continued gravely. He glared at Hooper. “So what was the plan? Lead it here so you could use our resources to contain it and take it through the portal?”

Hooper laughed again. Michael hated when he did that. “We’re not leading it anywhere...we’re _following_ it. It’s already here.”

The stunned silence was deafening. Skye slowly rose to her feet, looking around her nervously. Everyone looked just as uneasy.

“Then we need to get back to Terra Nova,” Taylor instructed. “We’ll be safer there. I suggest you let us go.”

“Or what?” Hooper smirked.

“Or we’ll all die. You know what that thing does.”

Hooper’s eyes flashed with anger. “You know what?” He pulled his pistol out and aimed it at Taylor’s head. “I don’t know how you’ve made it alive up until now but that ends here.”

“Stop!” Michael pleaded, stepping in front of Hooper’s weapon.

“No, Michael! Get back!” Taylor implored. “I don’t need another of my sons getting shot because of me.” 

Michael stepped back hesitantly. 

Hooper’s lips turned up into a devilish smirk. “I’m gonna enjoy this.”

Taylor didn’t even blink. He was probably used to people pointing guns at him by now.

But before Hooper could pull the trigger, a low roar echoed through the trees around them. It was hard to tell which direction it was coming from, but it was close.

Hooper lowered his gun, the smile fading. “It’s here,” he declared solemnly.

“We need to go now!” Malcolm begged. 

Hooper looked like he was in an internal battle with himself. His head turned towards the portal. 

“Hooper, don’t be a moron!” Mira yelled with disgust. “Unless you want to go back through that portal in a bodybag, you’ll let us go!”

“Mira, how I missed your voice of reason,” he jeered. His gaze settled on the young girl holding on to Mira’s leg. “I see you got your daughter back. I’m surprised you came back here, though.”

“I can handle whatever’s out here,” said Mira, scowling at him. “Back there, not so much.”

“So you think you’re safe now that Terra Nova’s let you back in its walls?” he rolled his eyes. “You were never this naive, Mira. You’ll never be safe.”

“Hooper!” Lucas spluttered, weakly pulling himself up. He wearily got to his feet, taking a moment to find his balance. Surprisingly, Skye put a cautious arm around him, supporting him. He glanced at her before addressing Hooper. “Let them go.”

Hooper stifled a cruel laugh. “I don’t take orders from you anymore.” He raised an eyebrow. “Are you on _their_ side now?”

Lucas looked around him, several pairs of eyes watching, perhaps wondering the same thing.

“You work for _me_ ,” he said weakly.

“No, I never did. I was hired by EdenCorp. And by the sounds of it, their empire just fell. So I run my own show now.”

Another loud roar tore through the air, making everyone jump.

“Come on, Hooper,” one of his men said cautiously. “We should go.”

Hooper frowned. “Fine.” He indicated for his men to move out, making sure to keep their weapons on the Terra Novans until the last second. They watched with dismay as Hooper’s men took their vehicles, speeding away with cruel laughter.

“Our rovers!” cried Boylan. “It’ll take us forever to get back now.”

“Everyone, stay calm!” Taylor ordered. “This thing’s smart but we’ve faced it before.”

“And we have the graves to prove it!” Malcolm lamented anxiously. “We need to run!”

Taylor raised his hand, calling for silence. Everyone listened carefully as they heard the sounds of stomping and trees breaking. It sounded far, but how far they couldn’t be sure. Michael listened carefully, his heart beating in his stomach. 

They ducked as they saw the beast lurking in the distance, stomping over bushes, searching curiously. He felt the vibrations of its footsteps. Michael could barely breathe. He tried to remain as quiet as possible. If anyone made one noise, one sound, they were done. Perhaps if they were lucky, it would pass right by and not see them. 

But they were never _that_ lucky were they?

Of course, that’s when his baby started fussing. He looked over, seeing Wash crouched low with the child, trying to calm him, placing her hand over his mouth. She muffled the baby’s cries, but it wasn’t enough. 

The dino’s head snapped in their direction, and then it began to rush towards them.

“RUN!” Taylor yelled. 

The large group dispersed quickly. Michael grabbed Lucas’ arm and threw it over his shoulder, helping Skye drag him to safety. He tried running towards Wash who he could see through the trees not too far in front of him, but Lucas was slowing him down.

“Just leave me,” Lucas implored, wincing from his internal injury.

“Lucas, don’t!” Michael yelled, sick of his brother’s suicidal tendencies. He looked around, he was beginning to lose sight of everyone, including Alicia and his child. The dino was right on his heels, he could practically feel its hot breath on his back. 

Helpfully, some of his comrades, including Reynolds and Curran, tried gunning the creature down, distracting it. While they did so, Michael turned a corner with Lucas, Skye following his lead. He indicated to a hollowed out tree trunk lying on its side and they helped him inside. Lucas groaned with pain as he crawled through the entrance, followed by Skye and then Michael. It was a tight squeeze but they were well camouflaged. The dinosaur, impervious to all bullets fired at it, trampled onwards, its large, scaly foot landing right next to their hiding place. 

Skye put her hand over her mouth, shaking. Michael shut his eyes tightly. The beast hovered over them, so close that they could practically hear the flare of its nostrils leering above. One false move and it could all be over. Skye looked petrified, a tear running down her cheek. Lucas sat, fighting to keep conscious as his body continued fighting the pain from his injury. As the monster lingered, Michael raised his rifle, ready to pull the trigger, with all the good it would do.

Thankfully, after a moment, the dino gave a frustrated roar and started running off towards gunfire. Skye finally let out a breath of relief. Michael did the same. He hadn’t realised how long he was holding it for as he started gasping for breath. He emerged from the piece of bark, Skye following close behind.

He took hold of both her shoulders. “Will you be okay here with my brother while I find Alicia?”

For a brief second, she looked unsure, the paralysing fear still present in her eyes. Then she got a hold of herself, recovering. She looked towards Lucas who was semi-conscious in the tree trunk. Then she nodded at Michael. “Yes. Go. We’ll be fine.”

He gave her shoulder a quick squeeze. “I’ll come back for you.” Then he was off like a shot, back towards the thing they were running from.

Michael ran, following the gunfire. He whipped through bushes, jumping over branches and flattened shrubbery, following the path of destruction.

But soon, the path got cold.

He got to a clearing; everything had suddenly gone silent, dark. There wasn’t even any sign of the mutant. He spun round, looking in all directions. Nothing but trees and more trees. Due to the setting sun and the shadows forming underneath the trees, he could barely see in the distance. He felt raindrops on his face. _Great_. As the rain began to pour, he screamed Alicia’s name. 

His yells echoed in all directions, but were met with silence. 

He pushed his sopping hair out of his eyes as the downpour soaked him. He’d only just got her back. He couldn’t lose her again. He had to keep looking, so he kept running. Though his uniform was sticking to him unpleasantly, slowing him down, he kept going because he had to. 

Then, he thought he heard something. A baby crying? _His_ baby. 

“Alicia?” he yelled. “Where are you?”

He turned around. Was it coming from behind him, or in front of him? The cries persisted, poor thing must be terrified. But Michael couldn’t tell where it was coming from. 

“WHERE ARE YOU?” he screamed.

As he spun around, he was greeted by the beady eyes of a Nykoraptor staring hungrily at him. He yelled out in surprise, faltering backwards. The creature made a terrible, ear-piercing noise before baring its razor sharp teeth and attempting to take a bite out of Michael. Michael shielded himself, raising his arms up. Before its teeth could sink into his arm, several loud gunshots forced the Nyko to retreat from its meal. Michael stumbled backwards, landing on the wet soil before glancing over at his rescuer.

Commander Taylor walked slowly towards him, firing off several rounds of his rifle. The Nyko took many hits in its feathered flesh. It stumbled back from Michael, hissing and growling before cutting its losses and limping away in haste.

“Dad?” Michael slowly got to his feet, staring at his father. He had just saved his life. But the awkwardness was still a barrier between them. So much was still unsaid. What could he say? _‘Sorry I pushed you into a trap’? ‘Sorry I lied to you again’?_ There was nothing he could say to make up for what he had done. 

His father looked over at him, his expression hard to read. Michael feared that look again. That hated look of disappointment that had driven him and his brother to the brink of insanity. The last time he had seen his father look at him like that, Michael left for what he presumed was for good. For months, he had detested him almost as much as Lucas did. The day he came back, he still hated him, or at least resented him - that’s how he could do what he did. But he was wrong. Because despite all the complex feelings he had for his father, he still loved him. That’s why he went through the portal to get him back, that’s why he’d take a bullet for him. That’s why he didn’t know what to say now. 

He actually _deserved_ his father’s disappointment. He expected he had lost his trust forever.

However, the Commander didn’t look at him with his usual stern look. Surprisingly, he walked up to Michael and embraced him.

After overcoming the initial surprise, Michael hugged him back. His father’s sudden affection was unexpected, but he was relieved. His face showed a bemused, emotional smile. Then the smile faded.

“Dad...I’m...I…”

Taylor released him. He nodded gently. He knew what Michael was trying to say. “Come on. I think the coast is clear now. The others were headed towards the beach. That’s where Wash and your baby will be.”

“They’re safe?”

“I believe so.”

Michael looked back towards the jungle. “I left Lucas and Skye back there. We should get to them first.”

“Lead the way,” said Taylor.

* * *

Lucas gradually awoke to find someone had built a shelter of twigs and leaves around him, shielding him from the rain that was now starting to ease off. Blinking a few times to focus his vision, his gaze found Skye a few feet in front of him, attempting to light a fire and not having much luck by the looks of it.

He watched her for a moment; studying her. The last time he had seen her a year ago, she had shot him. More than once. He had thought of her every day since. Not really in anger. He had been bitter that his plan had failed, but he had forgiven her. He and Michael had both been disappointed that she had chosen their father over the both of them, but there was no point in being angry with Skye. This was and always would be the Commander’s fault. 

“What are you doing?” he asked her, surprising her. 

She glanced at him, then carried on with trying to get the kindle to ignite with the wood. “I’m lighting a fire, what does it look like?”

“The wood is wet,” Lucas observed. “It won’t set fire when it’s wet.”

Skye bit her lip with annoyance. “Everything is wet. It’s raining.”

“You can still find dry wood where it’s been sheltered from the rain. I survived years out here, remember? I know how to light a fire in the worst of conditions.”

She stood up, looking at him coldly. “Oh, I don’t doubt it.”

Lucas could tell she wasn’t impressed. “Fine, I’ll do it.” He attempted to get up but ended up doubling over in pain. Skye rushed by his side, lifting his shirt to reveal the wound had reopened. She grabbed her canister from her pack and lightly sprayed over the opening. The outer layer of skin healed, however, he was still left with pretty substantial bruising underneath. 

“You have a habit of getting shot,” she commented, throwing the canister back in her rucksack. She meant it as a joke, but it was as if the memory of shooting him still haunted her, and she ended up frowning.

“Well, I’ve pissed off some pretty powerful people,” he mused, watching her hug herself anxiously. He sensed her uneasiness. Then he looked back out at the dripping woodlands. “You shouldn’t have saved me, Bucket.”

He sensed her staring at him, confused. “Why not?”

A long moment went by as he considered the answer. But it was simple really. It was over for him. When he was dying, envisioning his mother holding his hand, it was the most at peace he had ever been. No anger, no misery, no mission for revenge. Finally some contentment. Now what would he be? A prisoner? An outcast, all over again?

He sighed. “I was ready to die.”

She blinked, her petite nose wrinkled with bemusement. “What the hell did those people do to you? Last time I saw you, you were begging me to keep you alive so you could finish your evil plan.”

He laughed hollowly at the memory. “I should have known you’d never betray our father. He has you all under his control.” He looked at her uniform. “I see he forgave you. How merciful of him. No more play-acting then, _Bucket_?”

“Actually, it was Mr. Shannon who let me join the security team. So I could help stop _you_.”

Lucas looked around him scornfully. “Seems like you’re more _helping_ me.”

She rolled her eyes. “You know, this could have all been avoided.”

“How?” he scoffed.

She held his gaze. “You came for me, remember? When Michael thought Lieutenant Washington was dead and he lost it. He took me and he...he told you he was going to kill me. You came for me. You didn’t have to but you did. And that cost you everything. So why did you do it?”

Lucas sighed heavily. “What does it matter? Why do you want to know?”

“Because I spent _years_ caring about what happened to you!” she cried helplessly. “I spent hours and hours looking for you with Michael, hearing his stories about you, knowing everything about you. I stupidly couldn’t wait to meet you. I wanna know I didn’t waste all those years caring about an evil maniac. I want to know that there’s at least a miniscule of humanity in you!”

He stared into her watery blue eyes, unsure how to answer. He had no idea he’d had such a presence in her life, even before he knew of her existence. Michael had drawn quite a picture. It was a shame it had been such an inaccurate one. 

“I’m sorry to disappoint you. My brother shouldn’t have put such ideas in your little head.”

She scowled at him before getting to her feet. “I’ll find some firewood before we freeze to death.”

Lucas watched her go, the angry frown on her face dominating her features. He knew what she wanted him to admit; that he cared about her too. He had already considered his feelings a hundred times. It barely made sense to him, he couldn’t be bothered trying to explain them to her. Besides, it didn’t make a difference how he felt. They were on opposite sides. She was too innocent and he was too jaded. He thought they were the same once: traitors, outcasts. But obviously, that had all changed. 

Skye Tate would always be too good for him.


	26. Chapter 26

Deeper in the woods, Michael and Taylor were walking together in silence. It was unbearable. He still wasn’t sure where he stood with the Commander. It seemed like there were a thousand things to say but no way to say them.

He squeezed rainwater out of his uniform, finding the dampness increasingly unpleasant. His lower lip trembled as the air cooled around them. 

“Sun’s going down,” Taylor said, noticing Michael’s shivering. “We’ll need to get to a camp soon. I just hope Terra Nova knows what it’s in for.”

“Jim should have it handled,” Michael reassured him, though he had been anxious about it himself. “We were expecting the worst. Jim’s done a good job prepping everyone.”

Taylor raised an eyebrow. “Good to hear he’s been doing a good job in my absence. I knew he would. How has the colony been?”

“On edge. Worried...about you. About everything...It took them a while to accept me back. Most of them still haven’t, but I’m working on it.”

“Well, you  _ were _ convincing,” Taylor said, looking over at him. Michael instantly felt a pang of guilt hit him, as if someone had just run him over with a Rhino. “How did you manage to convince Jim to trust you?”

“When I changed my mind about the deal.” He suddenly felt ashamed. “I was wrong about Nichol, about all of it.”

“Well. Better late than never,” joked Taylor. “What made you change your mind?”

Michael smiled. “Crazy as it sounds, it was Alicia. I just thought of her and...it was like she was guiding me, reminding me who I was.” 

Suddenly, he stopped. Noticing this, Taylor halted too, turning around to look at his son. Michael was watching the floor guiltily.

“Dad, I made a mistake leading you to that portal.” He risked looking into his father’s eyes, seeing that familiar stern look. But his father’s features softened.

“Son, I’m not gonna lie to you. Whether you believed in that deal or not, you took a huge risk. You risked my life and the lives of everyone in the colony. I don’t take that lightly. But, seeing Nichol’s whole operation, how she manipulates people, it opened my eyes.” He sighed deeply. “I understand why you did it. You thought you were saving Wash and your child. And I didn’t make it easy on you while you were here. You or Lucas.” Michael watched intently as his father came closer, a remorseful look on his face. “I admit it. I failed you both. I treated you like my soldiers rather than my sons. I let it get too far and I’m sorry for that.” 

Michael was surprised to hear his father apologise properly. He was speechless. Years of being made to feel ashamed,  insubordinate , treasonous. Finally, the old man was apologising for all of it?

“Maybe Lucas will always hate me,” his father continued regrettably. “Maybe you will too. But I hope not. Whatever trust has been lost between us, I want to help repair it. From both sides.”

Michael nodded slowly. He wanted that too. It might take a while to get there, but he was willing to try.

“Dad...I  _ am _ sorry. Lucas got in my head. He kept saying all these terrible things and I realised I felt them too. I  _ did  _ hate you. Everything that’s happened between us...I felt so disconnected from you. I resented you for it. For throwing me away like you did with Lucas. I was angry. All those months working for Nichol just made it worse. I felt alone. I felt like there was no other way. I’m just trying to make you understand what it was like.”

“I’m beginning to,” Taylor admitted. “I know I rule with an iron fist. Perhaps I can try to change that.”

He smiled at Michael. He was just about to carry on walking when Michael stepped towards him.

“There was something else that Lucas said too. It’s actually been on my mind for a long time now.”

Taylor was looking at him now, intrigued. 

“You were so against me and Wash being together...is that because you and her...” He felt his temperature rise, unsure how to phrase it. “Did something happen between you two?”

Judging by his father’s reaction, he thought he might not want to know the answer. But it was deep in the back of his mind, the idea that they might have been  _ something _ . Lucas’ allegations only solidified that fear. 

“The only woman I’ve ever loved is your mother,” confirmed his father. “‘Til the day I die, whether that’s today, tomorrow or years from now.” Michael was about to breathe a sigh of relief when his father continued. “Wash has always been a good friend to me, and a loyal ally. After your mother passed, I was a mess. Wash was there for me, she helped me through it.” He avoided his son’s curious gaze. “Sometimes when a man is at his weakest, he does things he’s not proud of. I’m no exception. There was a brief moment when I took advantage of her kindness. Of our friendship.” 

“A  _ moment _ ?” Michael repeated sceptically.

Taylor nodded shamefully. “Like I said, I’m not proud of it. But that’s all it was; a moment. Lucas must have picked up on it and blown it out of proportion.”

Michael stared at him, remembering the vehemence in Lucas’ words: ‘ _ Don’t tell me you never saw it? The way they were with each other? It made me sick!’ _

Now he knew there was some truth to his words. Lucas hadn’t been lying, at least not entirely. How right had he been?

“ _ Was _ it out of proportion?” Michael questioned with uncertainty.

“Of course it was.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me about this? Why didn’t she?”

“Because there was nothing to tell,” Taylor insisted, looking at his son. “There has never been anything going on between us. That’s not why I criticised the relationship. It was because I cared about you both and I didn’t want to see you get hurt.” He paused, taking in a breath. “But you’re together now and you have a family of your own. That’s all that matters. I won’t let anything get in the way of that now. This is what you both want then that’s the way it will be.”

It was astonishing for Michael to hear this. If only he had heard it several years ago, when he and Wash had first got together, then a lot of pain and resentment could have been spared. For a moment, Michael didn’t say a thing. He didn’t know if he was angry, sad, happy, relieved. But then he found his voice.

“Better late than never,” he repeated his father’s earlier comment.

* * *

The blazing fire warmed Lucas’ hands as he pushed the wood around, allowing the fire to spread. He sat closely to it, allowing the heat to dry his clothes and body. The warmth was comforting, though he wished he could do something for the bullet hole in his lower abdomen. That magical spray of Skye’s wasn’t lasting long as the wound kept reopening and blood kept leaking through his shirt. 

As Skye came back with an armful of firewood, she almost dropped it all at the sight of Lucas already warming himself on the flames. Her jaw dropped. “Are you kidding me?”

“I told you,” Lucas said smugly. “I’ve had a lot of practice.”

She huffed in annoyance, carrying over the remainder of the wood and dumping it next to the fire. Frustrated, she pulled her hair out from her bun and let it drape wildly over her shoulders. She noticed him staring, then her gaze lowered to his wound and her frown deepened. “You’re bleeding again. I’ll have to bandage you up.” She sat down next to him, grabbing her medical kit. “Take off your shirt.”

He raised an eyebrow. She raised both of hers to express her impatience. So he sighed and did as she commanded. He carefully took his shirt off over his head, revealing his bruised torso. He felt Skye’s eyes take him in for a brief moment before she grabbed her bandages and started wrapping it around his stomach. The gentle touch of her fingertips on his skin made his heart jump slightly. She was soft and meticulous, avoiding his gaze as she worked.

“What happened back there anyway?” Skye asked. She risked a look at the cuts and bruises on his face but, catching his eye, quickly looked away again. “Who did you piss off?”

“I think, everybody,” answered Lucas mirthlessly. “The shot was from the Wicked Witch herself. So I guess I’m fired.” 

Skye paused. “So you’re done with them. Your employers.”

“I think I’m just done,” muttered Lucas. 

She tied off the bandage, the sudden pressure making Lucas wince.

“Lucas, this is good. You and Michael aren’t being controlled by them anymore. You could come back to Terra Nova.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Bucket,” spat Lucas. He pulled his shirt back on, feeling the evening chill. “I can’t go back there.”

“The Commander forgave me. I’m sure he’ll forgive you and Michael too.”

“Why do people crave his forgiveness so much, as if that will fix anything?” Lucas ridiculed bitterly. “I don’t want his forgiveness. You don’t understand. When we met, I thought you did. You’d been abused and kicked aside by him too. It’s what drew me to you, Bucket. But it turns out you’re just another one of his clueless followers.”

He watched as Skye narrowed her eyes at him. Then she pulled out a needle. “Hold still,” she mumbled. “Your face needs stitches.”

* * *

Michael led the way back towards where he had left Skye and his brother. It was dark now and the trail was hard to follow, but he was confident he could find his way back. For one thing, it was obvious that the Cruentusaur had tore its way through this part of the forest. That meant Skye and Lucas couldn’t be far off.

“Dad, what’s the plan with Lucas? What are you going to do with him?”

Taylor thought for a second. “That’s up to him.” 

Michael guessed what that meant. Lucas could either come quietly or...he could make things very very difficult for himself. Michael sensed his choice would be the latter. They all knew how stubborn Lucas was. He’d rather kill himself than accept defeat. Michael was now willing to try to earn back everyone’s trust, but Lucas? He wouldn’t care in the first place.

* * *

Lucas winced as Skye sewed the needle through his sore flesh. His cheek burned.

“I suppose there’s no more of that magical little healing spray of yours?” he mumbled pitifully.

“Nope,” Skye pouted unsympathetically. “All gone I’m afraid.” 

Lucas frowned, wincing again as the needle pierced his skin. He sensed her claim wasn’t entirely true. 

She rolled her eyes. “Stop being such a baby. You’ve had bullets in you. This should be nothing.”

He grimaced. “Perhaps you’re letting your current feelings for me impair your sewing ability.”

She locked eyes with him for a second. “Current  _ feelings _ ?”

“I upset you.”

“You didn’t upset me,” she replied, though the quick stab into his cheek seemed to suggest otherwise. “Stop flinching.”

He watched her up close to him, holding his face as she focused intently on her work, her blue eyes glimmering in the glow of the campfire. She looked so beautiful in that light, but in a different way to what he remembered. She looked so much more confident. So much stronger. He remembered when they first met, the way he tried to intimidate her. How terrified she had seemed.

“Are you not afraid of me anymore, Bucket?” He smiled sadly, beginning to feel ashamed of some of the tactics he’d used to manipulate her.

“Do I look afraid of you?” she asked, concentrating on tying the knot on the stitches. She finished up, lightly brushing her thumb along the sutures. She caught him looking at her again and she gently lowered her hands. “I  _ was _ at first. Then I thought I could be the one to save you. I mean, before I even met you I wanted to help find you, bring you home. Be a hero.” She sighed shakily. “Then I saw how crazy you were and what you did to Lieutenant Washington and Michael, and I should have wanted you dead. But I didn’t. Not really. I didn’t  _ want _ to shoot you.” She paused, staring at him with such intensity. “I still hoped I could fix you. But I’m not sure I can. You don’t want to be fixed.” A twisted smile appeared on her lips. “I don’t know, maybe someone else can.”

She was about to turn away when he grabbed her hand, surprising her. She stared at him, her blue eyes wide with confusion. “You were right,” he said. “When Michael took you, there was a reason I came for you. I didn’t want him to hurt you, Skye.” The use of her real name surprised even him. “I have thought about you every day since I left. I thought about seeing you again. I thought about...that night. When you kissed me. I know it wasn’t real. I know it was just some clever manipulation.” He spoke quickly, as if the courage to say these things, to open up this much, might soon dissipate. “But I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Even after you shot me, after you rejected me.” He laughed hollowly. “I just wanted you more.”

“Stop,” she begged. Her eyes were watering. Despite her previous encouragement for him to show some humanity, she appeared to quickly regret it.

He didn’t want to let go of her hand, but he did. As soon as he released her, he was startled to find her lips meeting his in a feverish kiss. She kissed him like she was starving; she was so commanding, so frenzied in her movements. For a second he was dumbfounded, but quickly settled into the kiss, moving his lips as eagerly as hers. His heart was pounding. His mind was racing. His skin was on fire. His hand drew up to the back of her head, losing it in her mane of hair, bringing her closer. His body instinctively moved with hers, craving her. But it was then she pulled away. She was crying. 

“I can’t,” she wept. “I can’t feel this way about you. It’s all wrong.”

He stared at her, his chest rising and falling, breathing hard. He was still trying to evaluate what had just happened. 

“Skye?” a voice in the distance interrupted.

Skye turned, seeing Michael and the Commander emerge from the shadows. She grinned, quickly wiping at her tears. “Michael?” 

Lucas watched as she ran over to them, embracing them both. He got himself back under control and rose to his feet, returning the scrutinising gazes of his family members. 

Skye stepped back, glancing back at Lucas apprehensively. 

Whatever the plan was, they were about to find out.

* * *

As they headed to the beach, Skye listened intently to Taylor’s exciting account of his adventures in 2150. From being held captive by EdenCorp, to finding Wash and joining forces with the Rebels, Skye was fascinated. 

“It really is bad back there, huh?” she said, walking next to the Commander.

“Just as Michael said it was,” lamented Taylor. “I wouldn’t have made it without Wash. She got the Rebels to trust me; it’s because of her we were able to attack EdenCorp.”

The Commander continued his tale of valiance and bravery, as Lucas trudged behind with a scowl. Hearing his father’s gloating tale of heroism made him want to puke. It was all he could take not to start another argument with him. 

“I expect he’ll be lapping this up for years to come,” grumbled Lucas to his brother. “Another tale to add to the legend. We knocked him off his throne just so he could return even more triumphant.” 

“Why does everything you say have to sound like Arthurian Legend?” Michael questioned derisively. 

“I always thought it was more like Greek tragedy,” Lucas quipped.

Michael side-eyed him, surprised to find him making a joke. They looked at each other before chuckling. It felt good to laugh even if just for a second. 

They fell silent as they walked, Lucas watching their father ahead of them, captivating Skye. “It’s unbelievable the way she looks at him,” he said. “At both of you.”

“She’s part of our family...If you hadn't left, I’m sure she would have loved you too.”

Lucas laughed disbelievingly. “I’m somewhat hard to love,” he mumbled, remembering all the terrible things he had said and done to Michael. “I don’t doubt I made it hard.”

“You tried your best,” agreed Michael. “But love endures so much. No matter what you do, he’ll always care about you,” he asserted, looking over at their father again. 

Lucas rolled his eyes. “Five minutes with him and you’re back under his thumb. Don’t you remember all those long talks we had about him? Don’t you remember how much you hated him? How he treated us?”

Michael lifted his head to the night sky, sighing. “Yes but...he’s different now. He actually apologised to me. He wants to change. But he said we all have to take responsibility for what we’ve done.”

Lucas scoffed, his lower lip curling with disgust. “He gave me that sorry monologue too. I was so close to finishing this. I had him right where I wanted him. I could have finally got him back for everything he did to us...then he hits me with that deplorable speech. I almost believed him, but even if I did, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t erase what he put me through. It doesn’t undo how I feel.” He glanced over at Michael regretfully. “And now I’ve lost you again too.”

“You haven’t lost me, Lucas.”

“We’ll see.”

When they eventually got to the beach, they found the rest of their group hunched together by a large campfire. Lucas watched as the happy reunions took place. Lots of hugs, smiles, even tears. Michael embraced Lieutenant Washington; Boylan handed over baby William to Skye whose eyes lit up at the sight of him; Reilly and Mark greeted the Commander with relief, shaking his hand at his triumphant return; Curran slapped Michael on the shoulder in congratulations; Mira sat in the sand, snuggling a sleepy Sienna on her lap; even Carter was enthusiastically recounting the excitement of the day with his new Terra Novan allies who were nodding and laughing - all past sins now forgotten. 

Lucas sat on the beach by himself, letting his feet dig into the grains of sand. He remembered this place. His father had taken him and Michael here once for a swim but Lucas had refused, fearing the kinds of monsters that must have lurked beneath the water. He didn’t feel much like joining in anyway. So he had sat in the sand and watched by himself as his family enjoyed themselves without him. He looked back towards the forest, thinking. How hard would it be to just slip away?

“Hey.” He snapped out of his thoughts as Michael sat down beside him. “So apparently my son is called William?”

“Ah. Yeah.” Lucas shrugged. “Sienna insisted.”

“It’s a good name,” Michael smiled. “Think Alicia and I will keep it. We need to call him something.”

Lucas smiled briefly as if to humour him.

Michael looked down at the sand for a moment. “Back at EdenCorp, Nichol said something about you visiting William. Did you do that often?”

Lucas felt himself sinking into the sand, his feet digging deeper into the grains. He nodded. “He was so alone,” he admitted forlornly. “I felt sorry for him.” He looked over at little William. Skye was still holding onto him merrily, tapping at his nose and showing him off to everyone, trying to get Malcolm to hold him. The kid was home. He didn’t need Lucas anymore. “I’m glad you got him back. Despite who his mother is...it’s good you’re all together.”

Watching Lucas, Michael knew what he was thinking. “Please don’t run,” he pleaded. “We’re all together now. We can figure this out.”

A sorrowful smile took over Lucas’ features. “I appreciate that, brother. But there’s no happy ending for me. Even if I did want to stay.” He looked back at Skye cuddling the baby, a sight he found both sanguine and regrettable; a glimpse of a life he could never have. But his brother had managed to achieve it and he couldn’t let that go. Lucas understood that now. 

“Your family needs you,” Lucas indicated as Michael glanced over to see Skye hand the baby back to its mother. Alicia smiled at him. “Go,” Lucas said.

Releasing a defeated sigh, Michael got to his feet. Lucas nodded at him. Michael jogged back over to Alicia, picking William up and raising him over his head. The baby giggled as Michael played with him. Everyone laughed and smiled at the sight. 

When Michael glanced back over at Lucas, he was gone.


	27. Chapter 27

They rested for a while at the beach, recuperating, regrouping. Skye treated any wounds that had been acquired. Mark and Curran caught a couple Gallosaur and cooked them up for the group to eat. Alicia and Michael spent a bit of time getting to know their son. Eventually, though, Michael knew that they had to get back to Terra Nova. There had been no sign of the Cruentusaur for hours. The sun was coming up soon, and now the rain had stopped and they were all fed and rested, it was time to go back and ensure Terra Nova stayed standing.

The question of Lucas and whether they should go after him was raised, though dismissed by Taylor. Michael didn’t argue it. Lucas could have stayed if he wanted to. He had made his choice. 

Taylor had been going over the map with Reilly, agreeing a route home. As long as they didn’t run into any more wildlife, they should get back in an hour or so. At his command, they packed up and headed back inland. 

Skye was once again holding baby Will as they walked through the woods. It was a challenge getting her to give him up, but she was perfectly happy to take it in turns to carry him as they continued the long trek home. She kept making him laugh by pulling funny faces and making noises.

She giggled. “Yep, I’m gonna enjoy being Auntie Skye.”

Michael watched her cheerfully.

“Don’t forget Uncle Boylan,” chirped Tom, coming alongside Skye and pulling a face at the child himself. He managed to make Skye laugh too as William squirmed in her arms with amusement.

“ _ Uncle _ Boylan?” Wash said sceptically, walking next to Michael. He shrugged, smiling playfully as if to convey they had no choice in the matter.

“Yeah!” Tom grinned. “Don’t worry Lieutenant. I don’t mind babysitting. He can sit on the bar and play with the empty shot glasses!”

Wash exchanged a horrified look with Michael.

Boylan rolled his eyes. “I’m teasing ya. If you’re gonna be parents, you’ve gotta lighten up a little.”

Again, Michael looked at Wash, realisation setting in. “Oh right, we’re parents.”

“I guess so,” Wash said, looking a little baffled herself. 

Michael looked back at Tom, slightly panicked. “What do we do? We just met the kid. We don’t know how to be parents!”

“We don’t even live together,” Wash pointed out.

“We’ll have to find a housing unit. Yours is way too small.”

“We’ll have to baby-proof it.”

“What about when we’re both on patrol? We’d need a babysitter.”

“We need a miracle,” bemoaned Wash.

“Alright, calm down!” Tom said, stifling laughter. “You’ll figure it out once we get Terra Nova out of trouble. You’ll be bloody good parents. Saving your kid from the clutches of an evil corporation is a good start.”

“ _ That’s right _ ,” Skye said to William in a cutesy baby voice. “ _ The mean lady is gone forever, thanks to mommy and daddy _ .  _ Yes she is _ !” She looked back over at Wash and Michael. “I’m so happy for you guys. He’s gorgeous.”

Wash smiled briefly. “I just wish I hadn’t missed so much...the pregnancy, the birth, the first few months of his life. That’s something I’ll never get back. I don’t know if he even recognises me as his mother.”

“Of course he does,” Michael insisted. “He’ll get used to us in time. And we’ll get used to being parents. The main thing is we’re together.”

He slipped his hand inside hers. It felt amazing to be able to touch her again, though slightly surreal at the same time. Their relationship had been a secret for so long, it felt strange to be able to hold her hand and kiss her in front of people, let alone show people the baby they’d had. 

He was looking forward to when all this was normal and it didn’t feel so strange. 

As they came to a clearing, Reilly and Taylor stopped ahead of the group. 

Confused, Wash quickly joined them at the front. Michael followed, curious to see what they were staring at. He looked out over the clearing and saw the bodies of at least half a dozen Brachiosaur laid out in the field in front of them. 

“My God,” Wash whispered. “It killed them all.”

“It didn’t feed on them,” Malcolm observed from behind her. “It just attacked and moved on.”

As if sensing everyone’s distress, William started fussing, prompting Skye to hand him back to his father. Michael tried settling the baby, bouncing him slightly, as the group cautiously made their way across the field. 

He cringed as he noticed the bite marks on each dinosaur. One cruel attack had led to the next until it simply ran out of victims. 

“I told you,” Mira remarked coldly as they passed by the massive bodies. “It kills for sport.” She took hold of her daughter’s hand. “Don’t look, honey.” Sienna turned her face away sadly.

“It’s getting closer to Terra Nova,” Taylor said, staring out at the distance. 

“What happens when it gets there?” Carter asked from the back of the group. 

Taylor ran his palm along the neck of the dead Brachiosaur, frowning.“We’ll have to kill it.”

“ _Good luck_ ,”  muttered Malcolm sarcastically.

“Sir…” Reilly began unsurely. “How do we do that?”

“With a lot of firepower,” sighed Taylor. He let go of the Brachiosaur. “Come on.”

They continued across the field, passing the other bodies. Michael looked at each one grievously. They were gentle giants. They didn’t deserve to die like this.

He noticed Skye’s anxious expression as he walked alongside her. She had looked a little troubled since they left the beach, apart from when she was playing with the baby. Michael recognised when she was alone with her thoughts, when she was worrying about something. But it wasn’t the same kind of worry that was on everyone else’s faces. He could sense it.

“You’re worried about Lucas,” he said to her, balancing Will on his hip.

She glanced up at him. Her silence spoke for her. “He’s out there. With that thing. Why couldn’t he just come back with us?”

“Lucas is stubborn. We both are. Guess we get it from our old man.” He sighed, watching Skye frown. “He’ll be fine. He survived out here for years by himself.”

She didn’t look convinced. “He told me he was done with EdenCorp. He’s really alone now. What if he can’t survive this time?”

Michael looked off into the distance. “I told him to come home. That we can work things out. It’s his choice if he doesn’t want to listen.”

She looked up at him, surprised. “All those years of searching for him, blaming your father for his disappearance. Now you’re giving up on him?”

“I’m not giving up,” he argued. “I have hope he’ll make the right decision in the end. But right now I have my own family to take care of.” He kissed the baby on his head, smiling at him.

Skye stared at him, as if she wanted to say something else, those troubled thoughts still on her mind. But she kept quiet, walking ahead to be alone.

Meanwhile, Baby William started to cry. “I know, I know,” Michael said soothingly, rocking the kid back and forth with no luck. Didn’t babies like being rocked? He tried pulling faces like Skye did, but the boy was not amused this time.

“Hey, wanna keep that kid quiet before that thing comes back?” Carter uttered in annoyance as he passed Michael’s desperate attempt at parenting.

“I’m trying!” Michael snapped back. He was falling behind trying to calm this kid. 

“I hate to agree with a former Sixer, but the excessive noise does put us at risk somewhat,” Malcolm added, walking on. 

“Maybe he needs changing,” Sienna offered helpfully, still holding her mother’s hand. “Usually the nurses would do it but I guess now it’s your turn!”

Michael wrinkled his nose. He looked towards Boylan for help.

“Yeah, changing nappies,” he reassured. “It’s easy. You’ll be fine.”

Michael pursed his lips together. “I don’t have any, that’s the problem.”

Mira raised her thin brows. “Seriously? You risk life and limb to save a baby and you didn’t think to pack diapers?”

Michael shrugged, still swaying the baby helplessly. William kept grabbing at his face, still wailing. “I didn’t think about that.”

“Oh, can’t help you there then, lad,” Boylan said apologetically. 

Mira rolled her eyes, walking away. “Come with me.”

* * *

“Then you can just wrap it round. Make sure it’s secure.”

Michael watched in awe as Mira turned his supplies of bandages and dressing into a fully functional diaper. The little baby looked up at them, kicking his chubby legs happily. A complete transformation. “How do you know how to do that?”

Mira looked over at Sienna who was cheerfully picking flowers nearby. “I lived on the streets with my daughter for years. You pick up a few things.”

Michael watched the emotion in her features. “You must be relieved to have her back after all this time.”

She sighed. “I just hope she’s happy here with me.”

“Why wouldn’t she be?”

“It’s been a long time,” admitted Mira. “I’ve changed. She’s changed. This is a completely new life for her. I brought her back here because I thought she’d be happier here. But now I might have just put her in even more danger.”

He smiled sympathetically. “Well, she’s lucky to have you as a mother. You’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe. I’m sure she knows that.”

Mira looked him in the eyes. Then she got to her feet, brushing herself off.

Michael picked up William, who was much more content now, and followed her up. “Thanks for helping me by the way, though I’m a little surprised you did.”

“Well, I thought the poor kid already has you as a dad, life’s bad enough.”

He snorted slightly, his brows knitting together.

“I’m kidding.” She smirked. “Your kid’s lucky too. You’ll never catch me saying that again so let that sink in.” Her features softened slightly. “We got our kids back. Whatever comes next I guess we’ll figure that out.”

Michael gave her a half-smile, watching as she called Sienna and they rejoined the group. He remembered, ages ago, when Lucas told him that Mira liked him. With the way she had treated him, he hadn’t believed it back then, but he was starting to believe it now. They actually had something in common, shockingly, and it felt like they were leading up to a weird friendship.

Okay, perhaps he still wouldn’t go that far.

* * *

As Taylor had predicted, the group arrived back at the colony just as the sun had fully risen, the sky welcoming them with pleasing streaks of orange and blue. The soldiers in the guard tower spotted them and immediately raised the gates. 

The gang wearily trudged inside, relieved to finally be on home soil.

Wash, now holding baby William, took in a deep breath as she observed the home she had been absent from for a year. Michael watched the tears well up in her eyes. 

“You okay?” he asked, placing a hand on her back.

“Yeah.” She smiled, then kissed William on his fluffy head. “I’m home.”

It didn’t take long before all their old friends and colleagues had noticed her return, stopping their daily duties to rush over and welcome her back. Wash was suddenly inundated with hugs and handshakes, shocked gasps and the occasional tear. She introduced William to her fellow soldiers, which surprised many of them. Michael stood behind Wash awkwardly as he watched the confused gazes of his colleagues fall on to him. He bit his tongue, unsure how his former friends would react, knowing that many of them were still suspicious of him. But he was stunned to find that he too now had a queue of handshakes and congratulatory exclamations coming his way. He grinned, relieved. Thankful. 

As the excited chatter all seemed to blur together, Michael saw Jim catching up with his father by the Command Centre. He caught his gaze. Jim gave him a nod, seeing he had been successful in getting his family back. Michael smiled back at him. 

He finally had everyone he ever cared about back where they belonged. 

Well,  _ almost  _ everyone

* * *

The Commander had instructed the group to get some rest whilst Jim got him up to speed on everything he had missed, so Michael took Alicia back to her house. They were both exhausted so after a quick shower, they retired to bed where they lay opposite one another, William sleeping in between them. 

Michael couldn’t stop staring at her. If he fell asleep, would he wake up and find out it was all a dream? 

“I’m not going anywhere,” she whispered, gazing back at him. “You can blink.”

He chuckled sheepishly. “Sorry. I just can’t believe you’re both here.” He glanced at Will who was clearly all tuckered out, sleeping peacefully next to him. “I didn’t think we’d ever have this.”

“Me either...It almost doesn’t feel real, does it?”

He avoided her gaze momentarily. “Alicia...after Lucas took you, I did some things I’m not proud of.” He thought back to Mira’s earlier comment about her and Sienna being different people and how that would affect their relationship. “I lost it for a while. And the things I did to keep you and Will safe...I guess I just don’t want you to think any less of me.”

“Of course I don’t,” she said gently. She looked guilty herself. “I did some terrible things too. Life in the Rebellion, it wasn’t easy. That world is so ugly, so damaged. I feel awful for leaving them. Some of them were good people.”

“I feel the same about some of those Phoenix Group soldiers,” Michael admitted solemnly. “Some of them really believe they’re doing the right thing.” 

“Do you think they’ll come for us? Now that Nichol is dead?”

He looked into her eyes. “I swear, I won’t let anything happen to you or Will. I’m not going to lose you again.”

“I won’t let anything happen to you either. Remember I am still your Lieutenant.” 

“Or am I your Captain? I  _ was _ promoted,” he teased back.

“Not here you weren’t!” she laughed. 

“Alright, fine, _ Lieutenant _ .” He leant in to kiss her smug smile, savouring her lips for a moment before she pulled away, a serious look engaging her features.

“You want Lucas to come back to Terra Nova, don’t you,” she guessed.

He laid back on his pillow, resting his head on his arm for a moment. “I don’t condone what he’s done. I wanted to kill him. _ I nearly did _ .” He paused, thinking back to that harrowing, moment when he watched Alicia’s body hit the floor, when he thought she was dead. He had been so ready to kill Lucas. He had the gun pointed to his head. He would’ve pulled the trigger. But he didn’t. He exhaled gently, watching her disappointed frown. “He’s still my brother, Li. We’ve been through so much together. I can’t just forget about him.”

“Fine,” she said quietly. “I understand. It might be good to bring him back and have him pay for his crimes. Just don’t expect me to be so quick to forgive.” 

She rolled on her back to get some shuteye. He frowned, watching her a moment before settling down himself. He held her, placing a hand over her stomach to embrace her. His fingers accidentally found the scar from her c-section and he froze. He searched her eyes as she looked down to observe the scar despondently. He began to remove his hand when she stopped him. She put her hand over his, settling over the scar. 

“It’s okay,” she whispered, holding back her tears. She let him hold her there, embracing both her and the baby as they drifted off to sleep.

* * *

When he awoke, Alicia’s side of the bed was empty. He immediately sat up, seeing that Will was missing too. Panic and confusion swelled up inside of him. His fears had come true. He jumped out of bed and threw on some clothes, hurrying outside to look for them.

The night sky cast dark shadows over the colony as he searched desperately. A million scenarios swam around in his head, each one more ridiculous than the last. Had EdenCorp taken her again? Had she run away? Was she hurt? Or did he really just imagine it all? 

He knew he was jumping to conclusions, but he’d at least earned the right to be a little paranoid after everything they had been through. He called her name as he weaved between housing units. Most people had retired to their homes so the roads were pretty bare. Still, he didn’t see her anywhere. He was about to check the Command Center when he passed Memorial Field. 

He saw a woman with long, dark hair standing over a grave. She was holding a baby. He walked across the Field, approaching Alicia slowly, realising the gravestone she was looking at was her own. His chest tightened at the sight of it. He stood beside her and stared at the bold, grey letters of her name.

“They thought you were dead for a whole year,” he explained. “I’m sorry...you shouldn’t have to see this.”

She smiled sadly, holding Will over her shoulder and stroking him gently on the back. He was, thankfully, clueless to what was unfolding. Just continued taking in the world and observing his surroundings curiously. 

“It’s okay,” she said feebly. “I had trouble sleeping and just thought I’d pay a visit.”

Michael glanced over at the grave beside Alicia’s and saw she had been ‘buried’ alongside Guzman. He remembered digging Guzman’s grave like it was yesterday. He bowed his head, wondering what old Guz would have made of all of this. 

He noticed Alicia’s empty gaze, her hollow expression as she stood in silence, listening to the wind.

“Are you okay?” he asked her, gently putting his arm around her. 

She shook her head. “I feel like a ghost.” 

He looked down at her sympathetically. After a beat of silence, he took her hand. “Come on, I want to show you something.”

He led her and Will to the other side of the field, towards two smaller, more modest looking tombstones. She looked pale as she took in the names carved into the stone. 

MICHAEL TAYLOR

LUCAS TAYLOR

They stood side by side, a few metres from Ayani’s memorial. The Taylor family.

“Dad told me he had these set up after we went missing. I found it a little weird at first too.”

Alicia gave him a sad smile. Her eyes filled with moisture. 

“If you’re a ghost, I’m a ghost,” he told her before letting her bury her head in his chest. He embraced her, gently stroking her hair until Will made a squeaky noise in between them, making them laugh. Michael put his arm around Alicia’s shoulders and led her back home. 


	28. Chapter 28

The next morning, Michael had been summoned to the Command Centre. He assumed it was to be briefed by his father for the next stage in the plan, but was surprised to find Mira, Carter, Curran and Mark already standing inside. 

They were all in uniform, aside from Mira who was looking bored and impatient as usual. Carter, however, seemed to have been given the full Terra Novan makeover. Michael was still getting used to seeing a former Sixer in the Terra Novan uniform. He never thought he’d see the day, but he had seen crazier things recently. Nothing seemed impossible anymore. 

“What’s going on?” he asked, glancing between his former friends and enemies. 

“Good question,” Curran said with a shrug.

“We just got word we needed to show up, so we did,” Carter added.

“Think it’s got something to do with the fact that we’re all traitors?” Mira suggested, unimpressed. 

Michael looked around. It did seem that way. They had all gone against Terra Nova at some point. Michael frowned. Not this again. He thought he had managed to convince his father that he was on his side. It was this mistrust and suspicion that drove Michael away in the first place. Then again, after what he had done, he could see it being a long, long time before his father trusted him again.

“Thank you for coming in,” Taylor’s voice interrupted as he came through the door. “I know we’re all busy preparing the colony for another attack.” He looked around the room stoically. “I wanted to thank you all for the part you played in the rescue mission. It took real courage to do what you did, whatever reason you did it for. I’m grateful.” He paused. “You’re all here because at some point you have betrayed my trust, whether it happened years ago...” He looked towards Mira and Carter. “Or whether I just found out about it.” He glanced at Mark who bowed his head shamefully. “You’ll know that I expect my people to adhere to a strict code of honour and once that trust is broken it’s damn hard to win back.” He looked at Michael for that comment. “I just want to make sure we’re on the same page, that we want what’s best for the colony. If so, there’s a place in Terra Nova for you. If not, you know where the door is.”

“I have my daughter back,” said Mira bluntly. “I’m tired of fighting. I’m willing to make a life here and earn my place if I have to.” 

“Jim tells me he recruited you as his deputy,” Taylor said. “Is that something you’d want to continue?”

Mira shrugged. “Sure. It wasn’t that bad. Girl’s got to make a living somehow.”

“Good, you start now. Jim could use your help.” 

She nodded and dismissed herself. 

Taylor’s gaze settled on Mira’s former second-in-command. Carter chuckled nervously. “You know I didn’t expect this when I signed up to take you out, and I nearly did a couple times,” he said jokingly. His grin dropped when he saw Taylor scowl at him. “Alright. When I first came here it was about the money, but it quickly became all about surviving. Sometimes we were lucky just to make it through the night.  _ They _ didn’t care about us. And if that bitch really is dead then I doubt there’s anyone looking out for me back there now. I got no future there. But maybe I have one here. If Mira can be happy here then so can I.”

“How do I know you’ve got the colony’s best interests at heart, Carter? How can I trust you?”

He pursed his lips, thinking. “The community us Sixers built...they were all assholes, but it was the safest I’d felt in a long time. You built a good community here, Taylor. And usually I wouldn’t admit this, but I’m willing to risk my life to protect it. If you’d accept me.”

Taylor stared at him for what seemed like a long time. “Report to Reilly,” he instructed. “She’ll make you into a soldier in no time.”

Carter nodded too, then left the same way Mira had. 

Taylor faced the remainder of his men. “Curran.” Curran looked up suddenly. “In the past year since I’ve reinstated you as corporal, you haven’t let me down. I’m pleased with your progress but I understand there’s still friction between you and some of the other men. Regardless of how these men feel about you, I need to know you’re willing to fight for them. For the colony.”

Curran looked down to the floor, as if acknowledging it had been difficult. “I’d die for any of them if it meant making up for what I did,” he muttered. He looked Taylor in the eye. “I may have destroyed my reputation but no matter what I’ve done, this colony is my home. You can depend on me to fight for it.”

“I thought as much. Go.” 

“Yessir.” Curran saluted him and left, leaving just Mark and Michael.

Michael was growing tired of this little game. He didn’t need to be reminded of all the times he was marched in here like a disobedient schoolboy and slapped on the knuckles for all his misdemeanors. Although it was refreshing to see the Commander in such a forgiving mood. Would he be so lucky?

“Reynolds,” addressed Taylor. “Shannon filled me in on your story. I wish you had told us the truth sooner, but I suppose your involvement with EdenCorp was a long time ago now. Still, what happened the other day must have opened up some old wounds. How are you feeling?”

“Fine, sir. I’m sorry I lied. I just wanted to forget about that part of my life. When I got here, I knew this was where I belonged. I was meant to come here, to start a family, live my life.”

“Yes, I heard about you and young Maddy. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“I’m satisfied that your ties with EdenCorp are long gone,” continued Taylor. “But in future you need to be honest with me. I like to know who my soldiers are and I hold them to a higher standard than that. Understood?”

“Understood, sir.”

“Back to your post.”

Mark saluted and disappeared, leaving just Michael and his father. 

Michael smirked disdainfully. “So am I forgiven?”

“I meant what I said before, Michael. I want us to try.”

“You seemed to forgive the others pretty quickly.”

“It’s not that simple,” frowned Taylor. “This history between us...I need you to trust me, too.”

Michael raised an eyebrow.

“I saw the way you looked at me when you disappeared with Lucas. I lost you both and I’m not sure I’ve got you back just yet.”

This was new. First the old man apologised and now he genuinely wanted forgiveness? Michael wasn’t sure what to say.

“As my father...I need time. As my Commanding Officer, I’m with you 100%.” 

Taylor nodded. “Okay. As your father, then, can I ask about my grandchild?”

Michael smiled. “He’s good. I mean as far as I can tell. I’m still getting the hang of this whole being a dad thing.”

“Son, I’m still trying to get the hang of it.” Taylor chuckled. “How’s Wash?”

“I think she’s a little lost right now. She’s been through so much. She just needs to find her place again.”

“It must be strange for her, being back after all this time.” He shook his head. “I spent so long thinking she was gone, that you were  _ all _ gone. You don’t know this but I didn’t deal with it all that well.”

“No?”

“I spent a long time looking out at that treeline, hoping I’d see one of you. I lost concentration. I blamed myself for letting Malcolm get taken. It shouldn’t have happened on my watch, but it did. I let a lot of things slide. But Jim helped me restore my focus. It was his idea to get the gravestones for Memorial Field. It was supposed to give us closure, until your recent return obviously. But I am glad I have you back, son.”

He patted Michael on the shoulder. The sudden contact was actually quite reassuring.

“Listen, I’m going to call a council meeting later today. I think you and Wash should be there. I have a plan.”

“Then we’ll be there.” Michael headed for the door before pausing. “Dad...about those gravestones…”

* * *

“Remind me why I have a sledge hammer?” 

Michael smirked at Curran who Michael had corralled into helping him while he was on his break. “You’ve had just as bad a year as I’ve had. I figured you deserved to let off some steam.”

Curran raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t say  _ just _ as bad. But I appreciate the thought...whatever this is.” He seemed even more confused as Michael led him into Memorial Field. “We’re not gonna desecrate some graves, are we?” 

Michael pointed at him enthusiastically with his free hand. “That’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

Curran wrinkled his nose. But seemed a little more understanding when Michael stopped in front of Alicia’s grave. 

Michael stared at it for a moment. He hated that this was here. It was a symbol of everything he feared. With one deep breath, he raised his hammer and swung violently down onto the stone. It took out a big, satisfying chunk. 

“I think you enjoyed that a little too much,” Curran said. 

Michael felt energised. “Try it.”

Curran seemed a little timid at first, but then raised his own hammer and brought it down on the remainder of the stones, breaking it into even more pieces.

“You’re right, that felt good.”

Michael pulled out the rest of the stone. Alicia’s ‘grave’ was no more.

“Come on.”

He led Curran over to his own gravestone and let him smash that up too. He felt relieved, seeing it break up into little pieces, his name no longer recognisable in the crumbled remains. He was alive. They were all alive. 

Then he came to Lucas’ grave. He stared at the name, frowning.  _ Lucas Taylor _ . Carved meticulously into the stone. They didn’t need this here. It reminded him of all the times he feared for his brother’s life. It seemed to be a permanent concern these past few years. 

_ Smash!  _ Lucas’ name fell to pieces in front of him. He kept swinging the hammer down, breaking up the chunks into smaller and smaller pieces. He caught his breath, the sweat forming on his forehead. Curran watched him, noticing the intensity in his actions.

“You good?”

Michael looked at him and nodded, wiping the moisture from his face. He could see a figure in the corner of his eye and looked over to see Josh Shannon laying flowers at one of the graves. He shot them an annoyed glance before turning his attention back to the grave in front of him.

Michael looked at him with a terrible sense of guilt. He hadn’t realised there were other mourners in the Field. It took him a second to realise who Josh was visiting since he hadn’t met the girl himself. “His girlfriend,” he explained to Curran. “Kara, I think. She was killed when the Phoenix Group bombed the terminus.”

But Curran wasn’t listening. He was staring at something else. Michael followed his gaze.

_ Oh. _

His eyes fell upon the gravestone across from them.  _ Ken Foster. _

Curran stared tragically at the name. 

“Curran, I’m sorry. I didn’t realise…”

“No. It’s okay.” He looked back at Michael. “It’s just something I have to get used to.  _ The first murderer of Terra Nova _ .” He paused. “I don’t expect you to understand. I gotta go.”

He handed Michael back the hammer and left. The guilt was clawing at Michael again. He wanted to call Curran back. He should at least know the truth, that he wasn’t Terra Nova’s first murderer, that they had more in common than he thought. Curran thought he was alone. He wasn’t. 

Michael sighed, turning back to the rubble in front of him.

* * *

Michael entered the door of Alicia’s house only to be greeted by the loud, wheezy squeak of an old toy he had stepped on. Confused, he looked around to see a pile of baby stuff; toys, diapers, clothes. He found a greeting card on the table from a neighbour congratulating them and offering to donate them some of their old baby things for William. He smiled. It was nice to know there were still Terra Novans who wanted to help them. It was a stark contrast to how people treated him when he first returned. He put the card down, hearing Will crying from the other room. 

“Alicia?” He walked into the bedroom where he saw Will in his brand new crib, red in the face and screaming. He picked him up, cuddling him. “Hey, buddy. What’s wrong? Where’s mommy?” He turned around to see Alicia in the corner of the bedroom, hugging her knees and struggling to breathe. “Alicia!” He put Will back down and knelt down in front of her. She was trembling, tears running down her face. “What’s going on?”

She wasn’t looking at him. She was somewhere else, her eyes unfocused. Her fingertips were digging into her skin. Her breaths were fast. Michael recognised this immediately. He took her face in his palms, gently guiding her gaze towards him.

“Alicia, look at me. It’s okay. Just focus.”

She looked at him and screamed, kicking him down onto his backside. After recovering from the surprise, he rebalanced himself, sitting opposite her. He had his arms out. “It’s okay. You’re okay. You’re in Terra Nova.” 

She stared at him, teary-eyed and breathless. “Michael? What…”

He risked coming a bit closer. “Just breathe slow. You’re fine. I’m here.”

She caught her breath, wiping her eyes. Then she looked around her. “I..I..I was just trying to find a shirt and then I, I don’t know, felt dizzy. I didn’t know where I was.” She furrowed her brows, confusion in her expression. “I don’t know what happened.”

“Has this happened before?” he asked.

She rubbed her arms self-consciously. “Since I woke up, I’ve felt different. Headaches. Fuzzy memory. Confusion. I thought it was getting better though.”

He thought for a moment. “What did Doctor Shannon say when she checked you and Will over this morning?”

“She said we were fine, physically.” She put a hand to her temple. “Maybe that blow to the head had more of an effect on me than I thought.”

He moved over to sit next to her. “You’ve been through a lot lately. It’s probably just the stress catching up to you.”

She looked concerned as she rested her head on his shoulder. 

“We’ll get through it, whatever it is,” he promised her.

She paused a moment. “Did I kick you?”

He chuckled. “Don’t worry about it.” He kissed her on her forehead. “I was going to get you for the council meeting, but maybe you should stay here.”

She pulled back, looking at him. “No, I want to go. I’m fine.” She sighed shakily. “I’m just...adjusting.”

“Yeah. Me too.” He smiled sympathetically. “Okay. The Commander’s expecting us.”

* * *

Michael dropped Will off with Maddy Shannon who was delighted to spend some time with the colony’s new addition. She said something about it being good practice, which Michael made a mental note not to mention to Mark just yet. Not long later and they were all crowded round the Command Centre table waiting to hear about the Commander’s new plan.

“First off, it’s good to be back. I’m glad to see the colony has been well looked after and thank you all for continuing to work hard to keep this place running,” Taylor said as he began the meeting. “Secondly, I’d like everyone to welcome back Lieutenant Washington.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “We’re all relieved to have you back with us safe and well after so long.”

A few of the council members applauded, causing Wash to nod and smile gratefully. 

“Thank you, sir.”

“As you all know, we’re not out of the woods yet. The terminus is still intact, which means whoever takes over Nichol’s operation can send another army through any day now. Not to mention Hooper’s clan is still out there eager to make contact with the future. We also have a rather  _ large _ problem. The creature from the Badlands is getting closer as we speak. We’ve seen what this thing is capable of and if it attacks the colony, I’m not sure we’ll recover.” He looked around the room. “Now I propose setting a trap for this thing if it gets any closer. We’ll need to set explosives. Lots of them.”

“That might be an issue, sir,” Reilly spoke up. “Our supplies are limited. If we use all our explosives on this thing, we might not have enough left for future use.”

“We might not have a choice, Sergeant,” replied Taylor. “In any case, the explosive trap would be a last resort.”

“What’s your first resort then?” Elisabeth asked.

“This ought to be good,” smirked Durwin next to her.

“We hunt the bastard,” Taylor said simply.

Malcolm nearly choked. “Sorry, you want to hunt it?”

“A team will be sent out, they’ll be armed to the teeth. The mission will be to kill it before it gets anywhere near Terra Nova.”

“That’s not a very humane solution,” mumbled Malcolm.

“Malcolm, you and I have buried enough of our people to know that this thing doesn’t give a damn about what’s humane. There’s no cohabitating with it. It kills anything it comes into contact with, or uses its own kind to kill. It needs to be destroyed.”

Malcolm looked down moodily, though inside he probably knew the Commander was speaking sense. In an ideal world, he could learn from this mutant, but there was no chance of that happening with how dangerous and destructive the thing was.

“The team will be made up of volunteers but everyone else will be expected to protect the colony from further threat.”

“Just another Tuesday in Terra Nova,” Boylan said sarcastically.

Jim rolled his eyes. 

“Michael,” Taylor said. “Our second biggest concern is who in EdenCorp is likely to take over from Nichol. Any ideas?”

“She had a lot of meetings with several other stakeholders,” Michael replied. “It could be any of them. I already gave Jim a list of their names.”

“I did a bit of research on them in The Eye,” Jim said. “Nasty characters. We could be in a worse position than we were before.”

“Well, we’ll be prepared for the worst.” He turned to Wash. “Lieutenant. I know you’re still recovering, but if you’re ready, we could really use you back in your post.”

Alicia glanced at Michael before nodding at the Commander. “Of course, sir. I’m ready.”

“Good.” 

“Commander,” Michael interjected. “May I ask, what if this last resort doesn’t work? We’ve seen what this thing can handle. What if something goes wrong? It’ll destroy the colony.”

“Do you have another suggestion?” Taylor asked curiously.

“I suggest, if hunting it down fails, we need to evacuate.”

“Evacuate the colony?” Jim spluttered. “That’s insane.”

“Is it?” Michael hit back. He looked around at the council’s disapproving faces. “If we can’t stop it, that thing will have no problem smashing through those gates and destroying everything in sight.”

“Terra Nova is the safest place for everyone,” Jim said sternly. “Where would we evacuate to exactly?”

“The mountains would be the safest place.”

Jim shook his head. “You’re suggesting we force 1000 people to hike a mountain, leave everything behind,  _ just in case _ ?”

“It is a bit of a tall order,” Malcolm added, brows knitted together in deep thought. “Are we just content to leave all our equipment, our supplies,  _ everything _ behind to potentially get destroyed?”

“It’s better than being killed,” someone snapped back.

“It can be done,” Wash said. “It would require some work, perhaps we could leave in stages.”

“It would be tricky with my patients,” Elisabeth mused aloud. “We’d have to be in the last group.”

“We’re getting ahead of ourselves here,” Jim complained. “We didn’t evacuate when Lucas’ army attacked.”

“Lucas’ aim was to control us, not kill us,” Michael argued. “Which is what this dino will do if it gets inside the walls.”

Taylor looked contemplative. “It’s worth thinking about. If things come to it, we’ll discuss it.” He looked back towards the group. “Meeting adjourned for now. I’ll let you know when I have more details. But if everyone is happy with what’s been discussed, we’ll progress with the arrangements.”

No one objected, so Taylor dismissed them. Michael watched Alicia as the group began to disperse. She avoided his gaze until they had reached the bottom of the steps. He pulled her aside, concerned about her decision to go back on duty.

“Alicia...Are you really ready to go back out there again? After this morning…”

“I’m fine,” Alicia snapped. “What I really need is to get back to work. To be myself again.”

Michael backed down. “As long as you’re sure.” 

“I  _ am _ sure. I just need to get back to normal.” 

“Okay.” He looked around from their place in the shadows of the Command Centre structure, remembering the times he had risked a secret kiss with Alicia in this blindspot, back when their relationship was forbidden and sneaking a moment with her sent his heart racing. He smiled at her, realising that now they didn’t have to sneak around. But Alicia didn’t seem so nostalgic. She pushed back her dark hair, touching her forehead. 

“I’m going to get Will and sort out my uniform. See you at home.”

She barely looked at him as she walked away. He sighed, watching her head back towards the house. There wasn’t going to be a time where he could stop worrying about her, was there?

* * *

Lucas stared aimlessly at the holes in the tree canopy, glimpsing the calming blue hue of the sky above and the occasional cloud floating by. He had awoken from a restless night on the floorboards of the Sixers’ old treehouse. Back at Square One. His father was alive, Terra Nova was still standing. He was alone, cold, hungry. Again. He had no contacts from 2150 to assist him this time. Nichol was the one who hired him. Now she was dead, there really was no one looking out for him. Not that he was much value to her anyway if she was willing to play games with his life just to satisfy her own narcissism. In a way he was glad she was dead. She was too deluded and egotistical for her plan to be successful - but it did pose problems for him.

Without an army, he was nothing. There was no hope of controlling Terra Nova now, and his father was back on his throne protecting it. All those years of hard work wasted. 

Maybe that’s why his instinct was to come here and drink whatever foul-tasting liquid was left in the Sixers stash of home-made moonshine. It wasn’t uncommon for him to pay a visit to their tree house every once in a while to raid their supply. He’d occasionally drink too much, ranting and raving about his detestable father, with only an irritated Mira to keep him company. She’d be forced to listen, if only just to make sure he didn’t do something stupid like fall to his death or choke on his own vomit. God, she must have hated his guts. He didn’t blame her. He was beginning to loathe himself almost as much as he loathed his wretched father. He was getting tired of fighting. Tired of losing. 

He sat up and as his head pounded, he was reminded how much he had actually downed. Oh well. The drink  _ did  _ help blur the memory of what happened last time he was here: Michael pressing the gun to his skull as he vowed to kill him; Lucas’ failed attempt at finishing the Commander; the bullets in his chest from Skye shooting him. 

Ugh. Perhaps he hadn’t drunk enough afterall. He rolled over to grab another bottle but, finding it empty, he smashed it on the floor. Grunting, he lifted the end of his shirt to check his bandages. The wound still hurt like hell but the bleeding was at a minimal now, which was a good sign. Skye had done a decent job patching him up. Even though he hadn’t asked for it, she had saved his life. 

He thought about her as he often did. The memory of that heated kiss played in his mind. It felt g _ ood _ . To touch her, to kiss her again. And he knew this time it was real.  _ It had to be _ . The way she touched him. He wanted desperately to continue, but clearly she regretted it. She couldn’t let herself want him the way he wanted her. 

He propped himself up against the wooden barrier, sat in his mess of blankets, surrounded by empty bottles.

“How the mighty have fallen,” a smug voice came from the tent next to him.

“Hooper,” Lucas groaned, recognising the voice. “How did you find me?”

Hooper emerged with his hybrid band of Sixers and soldiers. “We just followed the stench of failure and hopelessness and it led us right to you.”

Lucas glared at him. “What the hell do you want?”

Hooper handed him a device. Lucas recognised it, but he stared at Hooper with a blank expression. “What do you want me to do with this?”

“The scientist dropped it. It got damaged. I want you to fix it.”

Lucas snorted. “I can’t fix this.”

“I thought you were hired for your knowledge on the portal and the terminus.”

“The physics of it, yes. I’m not an engineer.” He threw the device to the floor. “If you want to make contact with the future you’ll have to wait until they activate the portal again.”

“I’m not that patient,” grumbled Hooper. “I’ve waited a long time, I’m not waiting any longer.”

“Then threaten someone who cares.” 

Hooper smirked. “You forget you’re not in charge anymore, Lucas.” He pointed his gun at him.

Lucas rolled his eyes and drunkenly wobbled to his feet, pushing the blankets off of him. “Fine. Go ahead. I’ve been shot three times already, maybe this one will actually take.”

Hooper blinked at him. “You really have given up.”

“That’s because it’s over. Nichol’s  _ dead _ . Even when she was alive, she left you here to rot. What are you holding on to?”

“Someone will take her place. They’ll want what we’ve found here. They’ll make us all rich.”

“That’s right,” scoffed Lucas. “A monster kills half your men and you see dollar signs. I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

“You know, you could still get what you want too. There’s plenty of powerful people who want control of Terra Nova. More powerful than Nichol.”

Lucas’ gaze focused back on Hooper. That caught his attention.

“All you have to do is help us get in contact with them. Then we can make our move.”

Lucas frowned. “I’m not interested in another war, Hooper.”

Hooper stared at him incredulously. “You’ve not gone soft, have you, Lucas? Don’t tell me there’s actually someone you care about in that stupid colony?” He paused, watching Lucas face away from him. “There is,” he said with scorn. “Well hell, look at it this way. If we have control of the colony, you can dictate what happens to them. We just need Taylor gone.”

“He  _ was _ gone. You had your chance. We all did. It didn’t work.”

“Didn’t you  _ like _ being in charge?” Hooper said angrily. “All that power, all that influence? Makes a change from living like a caveman.” He stood face to face with Lucas, staring at him imploringly. “Help us make contact with our employers. I’m sure they’ll honour your arrangement with Nichol. We’ll do it better this time. They’re  _ weak _ . It’ll be like taking candy from a baby, and when we’re done, they’ll be thanking us.”

Lucas looked at the desperation in Hooper’s eyes. The man looked like he would just about try anything. A million thoughts rushed through his head. Then he looked down at the pile of empty bottles, sighing. “Maybe I could take a look at that console, see if I can work out the problem.”

Hooper’s face lit up. He gripped Lucas’ shoulders excitedly. “Good man.”


	29. Chapter 29

“Okay Will, you won’t know what an airplane is but...imagine one is flying towards you right now. Nnnneeoooow.” Michael made his best plane noise as he flew the spoon of baby food towards Will’s lips. The child, who was perched on the kitchen table, refused to open his mouth. Michael sighed. “I don’t blame you, kid.” He sniffed the unappetising spoonful of mulch and wrinkled his nose in disgust. “This is grim.”

He turned around as Alicia came through the door in her old uniform, her hair up high as it used to be. It looked like she’d never been away.

Wash smirked slightly, noticing him staring. “What?” she said self-consciously.

“Nothing. You just look...like yourself.” He turned back towards Will and tickled his tummy. Will squealed, causing Michael to laugh. “How was your shift?” 

“It was good, actually. A little weird. But good.”

Michael stood, holding Will on his hip. He was getting used to carrying the little guy around. “Good. Uh, I’ve been meaning to talk to you. I volunteered to go on the hunt tomorrow. To kill this dinosaur…” He trailed off when he saw Alicia’s expression. She seemed surprised.

“You volunteered?”

“Yeah.” He looked confused. “Does that bother you?”

She stared at him. “Don’t you think we should have discussed it first? I mean, we’re a family now, aren’t we?”

Michael readjusted Will on his hip, the baby seemed to be getting heavier and heavier. “Uh. I’m sorry. I didn’t think we needed to.”

She seemed annoyed. “This is serious, Michael. You could get hurt out there! You need to discuss these things with me first.”

Again, Michael struggled to keep hold of Will until Alicia sighed and decided to take the baby from him. Now he was childless, he could let his own frustration out. “You mean the way you discussed it with me before you ran off and sacrificed yourself to let the Shannons escape,” he said sarcastically, remembering his confusion as she kissed him goodbye and ran off to get caught by Lucas’ men.

She rolled her eyes. “That was different.”

“How?”

“We have a baby now for one thing! What if you were killed? You’d deprive William of having a father?” 

Her raised voice upset Will, so she took him over to the bedroom and placed him in his crib. Michael watched her close the door so he wouldn’t hear their argument. 

“Of course I wouldn’t want that to happen!” he insisted, trying not to yell. “I just...didn’t think.”

“You need to  _ start _ thinking,” she said. “I need you, Michael. I need to know we can do this.”

He stared at her for a moment, watching her unravel. Her eyes were alight with fear and anger. She was tense. He thought back on all the moments that led them here, all the break ups and make ups, all the fights and one night stands. He loved her, but he remembered never being sure she felt the same, until that night when Lucas had the gun pointed at her forehead.  _ I love you _ . It was on her lips, before she fell. But now he didn’t know if she really meant it. 

“Alicia, is this what you want?”

She softened. “What?”

He shrugged. “Do you love me? Now there’s not a gun pointed at your head. Did you mean it? Now would be a good time to tell me.” He paused, studying her. “I know there’s history between you and my father.” He watched her gaze drop to the floor, but he continued anyway. “My own brother nearly killed you. Now we have Will. I understand it’s complicated. But you need to tell me how you feel.” 

She slowly lifted her eyes to meet his and he could see they were filled with tears. He felt his heart sink.

“Ever since you got here, I’ve been so afraid,” she admitted tearfully. “Of how I felt about you. I tried to ignore it, but I couldn’t. Every time I pushed you away, I’d always find you again. I don’t wear my heart on my sleeve like you, Michael. I find it hard to express these things. But yes, I meant it.” She smiled when she saw his expression change, letting her tears escape down her face. 

Immediately, relief washed over him. It was good to finally hear her confirm it. He smiled and rushed over to her, grabbing her in a kiss. She kissed him back, holding him, smoothing her hands along his body as they increased their pace ever so slightly. After a moment, they paused for breath, and Michael wiped the moisture from her face, smiling at her. 

“I guess we’re not used to being a proper couple,” he admitted, holding her.

She smiled sadly. “Another thing to get used to.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “Please be careful tomorrow. I need you to come home.”

He pulled back a little. “You’re okay with me going?”

“Protecting the colony is our job,” she replied. “I understand you need to go. But Will and I expect you back, okay?”

He nodded gently. “Okay.” 

He let her melt into him again, feeling her warmth against him, letting her hair get in his face.  _ Finally _ . He knew for sure now, they were meant to be together.

* * *

The next morning, Michael got to work on loading up the three Rhino transports. In total, ten soldiers had volunteered including Curran and Reilly. They had been given quite an arsenal, including a missile launcher and a machine gun loaded onto the back of one of the vehicles. The reality was beginning to settle in as Michael tossed the last of the supplies into his rover.

“I hear you’re leaving again,” a friendly voice said behind him. He spun round to see Skye, once again in her uniform. 

“Private Tate,” he smiled. “Still getting used to seeing you in green.”

She smiled politely. “Still getting used to it myself, but I like it.” Her smile disappeared. “Don’t you think you’ve done enough lately? You brought Lieutenant Washington and the Commander back. People wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to sit this one out and spend time with your family.”

“I appreciate that, Squirt. But I can’t sit anything out until I know this colony is safe. If this... _ thing  _ attacks, we might not have families to spend time with.”

Skye frowned. “Just feels like every time you come back, I don’t know how long you’re actually gonna be around for before you leave again.”

“Hey, I’ll be back in no time. Besides, if I die, Alicia will kill me.” He chuckled.

She let herself smirk, but only slightly. 

“Take care of this place while I’m gone,” he said.

She nodded. Her gaze became distracted by another soldier approaching. It was Curran.

“Hey. You’re going too?” she asked. She watched as Curran shrugged as if to say ‘ _ looks like it _ ’. “Well, be careful too. Okay?”

Curran seemed surprised, but nodded in agreement. 

“I’ll see you later.”

Curran stood beside Michael as they watched her leave. “She’s a good kid,” he remarked to him. “Her mother’s been so great to me too. Not just ‘cause she’s grateful I saved her from the Sixers. She’s been really good to talk to. Like she really cares, you know?”

“Yeah,” Michael said thoughtfully. “The Tates are good people.” 

He tapped the side of the Rhino before getting in the driver’s seat.

On the way out, he saw the Commander by the gates seeing them off. His father gave him a meaningful nod. It was his way of wishing him luck. Michael stared back at him, always at awe by how much his dad could express without saying a single word. But he understood. He looked back towards the road and accelerated out the gates.

“Gotta say, I’m impressed with you guys.”

Michael glanced behind him to the back seat where Private Brett was seated. Her tone was slightly more of disbelief rather than complimentary. 

“The way you both just walk back into the colony after all the crappy stuff you pulled, and then you volunteer to go toe-to-toe with a raging dino. What’s your angle?”

Glimpsing the passenger seat, Michael could see Curran’s agitated expression.

“No angle,” he said. “Just trying to do the right thing.”

Brett shook her head scornfully. “You weren’t so interested in doing the right thing with Foster.”

“That’s not helpful, Brett,” Michael chastised, keeping his eyes on the track ahead of him. 

She smiled disdainfully. “Helpful would have been not running off to work for the enemy for a year, and then trying to trick us into some fake deal!”

Michael bit his tongue, focusing on the rover ahead of him. He had no room to defend himself there. He shot a look at Curran, who returned his look of solidarity. It seemed like their fellow soldiers still harboured some sour feelings, understandably. 

“Let’s just focus on killing this thing,” muttered Michael.

“Fine,” Brett said, continuing to look out towards the trees through the slats in the Rhino.

They continued driving for some time, Curran marking off the parts of land they had searched on the map. For the first few hours, though, they had found no trace of the Cruentusaur. They were starting to get restless. 

“Where is this thing?” Brett moaned. 

“Figures,” said Michael, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. 

They pulled over while Reilly reviewed the map and some of the guys stretched their legs. Michael leant against the vehicle door, listening to the sergeant muse aloud at which areas needed to be searched next.

He noticed Curran standing some distance away from the other soldiers who were still ignoring him. He frowned. Feeling guilty, he headed over to keep him company.

“You having second thoughts yet, Curran?”

He smirked. “Not yet. Might help if we found the damn thing.” 

Michael chuckled. He wiped the moisture from his forehead. The sun was baking him in this armour.

“I don’t get it,” Curran added, clearly frustrated. “It was steaming towards Terra Nova the other day. It should be here  _ somewhere _ .”

“It  _ is _ smart,” Michael reminded him. “Maybe it knows we’re looking for it.”

Curran looked uncertain. He took a swig from his canteen, staring at something behind Michael.

“I told you they’d never forgive me,” he mumbled, looking back at Brett and the rest of their group.

“Don’t pay attention to Brett. She’s not happy unless she has something to complain about.”

“You know it’s not just that.” Curran sighed. “I’ll always be remembered as Terra Nova’s first murderer. That’s my legacy to this place.”

Michael noted the shame in Curran’s expression and in his posture. He was utterly defeated. Michael recognised it all too well. Curran didn’t deserve that title. Unfortunately, that title would always belong to Michael.

The guilt was all over him again. Looking at Curran, he knew he at least deserved to know the truth.

“You’re not Terra Nova’s first murderer,” he said. “I am.”

Curran looked up at him incredulously. “What?”

“I killed someone,” Michael clarified. “I mean before the war, before the occupation. Before you even set foot in Terra Nova.”

Curran looked shocked. He barely blinked. “Who?”

“He was my father’s mentor. A General.”

“You killed a General?” Curran said in astonishment.

Michael told him about that night, years ago. How Lucas had snuck out to meet General Richard Philbrick as he arrived through the portal, and how they had followed him, stumbling upon his attempt to overthrow their father. He told him how Philbrick had tried to kill the Commander, and how Michael’s intervention had led to the death of the General instead. 

Curran was watching him with intense curiosity. Was he disgusted? Angry? Or just plain confused?

Michael cleared his throat. “The point is, you’re not the first person to make that mistake. I know what it’s like to be haunted by it.”

After a moment, Curran dropped his gaze, frowning. “I appreciate it, Michael. But it’s a little different. You killed to protect your father, to protect the colony. I killed to protect my own ass.” 

He gave Michael a half-smile as if to say ‘ _ thanks anyway _ ,’ before heading back to the transport. 

Michael inhaled deeply, staring up at the sky in defeat. He had tried; he shared the burden Curran felt, but he was right that it wasn’t quite the same. 

Back on the ‘road’, they had been driving at least another half hour when Michael was forced to slam on the brakes as the Rhino ahead of them stopped suddenly. 

“What was that about?” Curran wondered aloud. 

Michael followed the rover in front as they made a turn to avoid something on the track ahead of them. As they came closer, they could see the bodies of at least three slashers lying cut up and mangled on the ground, splashes of blood staining the green of the bushes nearby. Michael slowly veered round them. 

“What the hell?” Brett murmured, staring at the bodies with horror.

“We’re close,” Michael said. “Be ready.”

A few minutes later and the vehicle in front came to another halt.

“ _ You guys hear that _ ?” Reilly’s voice quizzed over the comms.

They stopped and listened, just about making out the unsettling roar in the distance. It sounded a couple of miles away, but it was hard to tell. 

“Copy, Sergeant. We hear it.”

In the back, Brett picked up her rifle. There weren’t any more complaints of boredom after that. The rover was silent as they continued on, nearing the awful noise. Michael could sense his heart rate increasing with each passing moment. They were getting closer.

It became more of a concern when the jungle fell silent. Curran looked around him, listening carefully. “It’s gone,” he whispered. 

Michael shook his head. “It’s not gone.”

“I don’t hear it,” Brett remarked. “Maybe it _ has _ gone.”

“Shh.” Michael put his hand up, calling for silence. He stopped the Rhino. He could hear the wind rustling the leaves on the trees, a Howler in the distance. But otherwise nothing. He was beginning to think maybe it  _ had _ gone when suddenly a deafening noise overwhelmed him.

It was a roar and a shriek combined and it was coming from directly behind them. Michael pressed his hands over his ears to suppress the ringing in them. Before he could do anything, a force smashed into the side of the rover and sent it rolling on its side. 

The shrieking and growling continued whilst Michael’s world flipped sideways. The ground shook as something large and heavy passed them. Then he heard the guns going off. He looked around him from his new angle, gravity pulling him towards the ground. Brett was desperately trying to climb towards the back of the Rhino. Curran hung from his seatbelt, dabbing at a cut on his forehead. 

“You okay?” Michael asked, already struggling out of his sideways seat.

Curran nodded. He followed Michael as they tried to make their way through the overturned transport, using the back bench to steady themselves. When they got to the back exit, they could see the beast was right in front of them, furious as their fellow soldiers began gunning it down. 

As expected, the rifles were having minimal effect. But the machine gun on the back of one of the Rhinos was having a bit more success. The Cruentusaur was clearly in pain as the bullets tore through its body, its deafening screeches of agony amplifying through the woods. But they were the equivalents of flesh wounds, if anything. It only made it angrier. It screamed, swinging round its large tail and sending some of the men flying. 

“Get the rocket launcher!” Reilly ordered Michael as she went to help up her fellow soldiers.

Michael ran to collect the launcher from the back of the Rhino. In the past he’d been itching to use one of these, but now he was a little more apprehensive. As Curran and Brett fired their rifles beside him, he positioned the launcher on his shoulder and prepared to fire.

“STAND BACK!” he yelled. 

He felt the enormous force from the launcher almost push him backwards as the rocket soared for the dinosaur. There was impact as the rocket exploded, causing a massive inferno as many of the soldiers fell back from the blast. Michael shielded himself from the explosion as it sent him tumbling backwards. 

For a moment, there was nothing. Just fire, heat and smoke. Michael pushed himself up on his elbows and wiped the dirt from his vision. Everything seemed to be on fire, the black clouds of smoke blocking any sign of the beast’s body. 

Curran materialised from the smoke and helped pull him up, looking over at the other soldiers who were themselves recovering from the blast and trying to work out if they had been victorious. 

For a moment, it seemed like they had. But as the smoke cleared, a large set of fangs emerged from the carnage, accompanied by the most horrific screech Michael had ever heard.

“RUN!” Reilly shouted. 

Michael felt his legs take him as fast as they could carry him, the adrenaline fuelling him. He could hear the creature storming behind him, making that shrill noise. He didn’t need to be reminded how fast the thing was; he was lucky enough to have escaped it twice already. 

He couldn’t bring himself to look back. His heart was pounding, leg muscles searing. He was faintly aware of some others running nearby. His chest was starting to hurt, his feet burning as they bolted onwards. 

_ Please don’t kill me,  _ he thought over and over.  _ Don’t kill me. _

Miraculously, it got distracted by something and turned a corner, stomping through the foliage. Michael bounded towards a tree and desperately gasped for air. He was red in the face, dripping sweat, terrified. 

Looking around him, he saw a few familiar faces. Brett was a few feet away in hysterics, sitting in the long grass where it looked like she had collapsed. Michael made his way over to her, almost tripping over himself. Kneeling down in front of her, he briefly checked her over as she wept with horror.

“We...we’re supposed to kill that thing?” she sobbed with disbelief. 

“Did you see it get up from that explosion?” Sergeant Lee added, approaching them. His usual tanned skin looked white as a ghost. “Like it was nothing?”

“It’s indestructible,” another corporal said. 

“It’s not indestructible,” Michael said, pulling Brett back to her feet. He turned to his sergeant. “Any word from -”

“I’m here,” Reilly jogged over, a few others following behind her, including Curran. They looked just as exhausted as Michael did.

“Where is it?” Brett asked, looking around with panic.

“Lost it for now,” answered Reilly. “But it’ll be back.”

“Can we get back to the transport?” Lee suggested.

“Might be risky,” mused Reilly. “Let’s do a head-count. Did we lose anyone?” She did a quick roll call, noting that all were accounted for. “Good. Let’s get out of the open for now.”

The group journeyed to a slightly thicker part of the jungle, where the dense plant life served as better camouflage. Michael, as well as a few others, took this as an opportunity to sit down and rest his aching muscles. The way everyone looked, it was clear the mission was a failure. That dino wasn’t going to go down easy. It seemed more and more likely that it would make its way to Terra Nova, putting everyone’s lives at risk. He looked up at his sergeants who were busily planning their way back to their vehicles. 

He looked out at the treeline. Like everyone else, he felt on edge. The slightest noise made him jump; a small rustle of the trees, a squawk from a pterosaur up above. Everyone felt it. 

“I’m sorry I snapped at you earlier.”

Michael almost jumped out of his skin as Curran knelt beside him. He looked at Curran next to him, trying to calm his heart rate. His companion smiled at him apologetically. 

“It’s fine. I guess you were right,” Michael agreed. “It  _ is _ different.”

“It doesn’t mean your guilt is any less. It’s not something you just get over, is it? You’re still paying the price even years later. What hope do I have?”

Michael stared at him. He had the guilt of one man on his shoulders. Michael had the weight of many. Philbrick was the first life he had taken, but it wasn’t the last. Maybe their motives had been different, but he couldn’t accept that they both couldn’t be redeemed.

“It doesn’t mean you can’t do some good,” Michael told him. “It will get easier. Eventually, you’ll be able to sleep at night without reliving it. You’ll be able to look at your friends without seeing his face. Eventually, it will get better.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Curran said half-heartedly. He got to his feet and held his hand out. Michael took it and straightened himself out as the group readied themselves for their trek back to the vehicles.

They led the group in the direction Reilly had outlined, back towards where they abandoned the Rhinos. Hopefully they were mostly still in one piece so they could get back home. The team were exhausted and so chatter was at a minimum. Michael thought it also might have something to do with keeping a low profile. No one wanted to risk even the slightest noise, just in case.

What was he going to tell Wash or his dad? He had so wanted to come home with good news. Then at least the colony would have one less problem to deal with. Now he had to tell them they were still in danger.

His worried thoughts made him lose focus, as his gaze wandered down to the grassy earth beneath him. The sudden appearance of a new creature made his head snap back up. 

He stopped suddenly, holding his arm out to stop the people behind him. It was about the size of a slasher: short limbs, striped body, with a blue head and a red beak-like face. It stared at them curiously, which made Michael believe it wasn’t a threat. It took him a moment, but he soon realised it was a Howler. This was probably the first time he had come face to face with one, since they preferred coming out at night and staying away from humans. The last time he had seen one was a few days ago, on the other side of the fence - when they had killed themselves trying to get inside the colony. The memory was disturbing. With that in mind, he kept a cautious distance, slowly bringing up his rifle. 

For a solid minute, it just stared at them with its wide, beady eyes. Then, out of nowhere, it raised its head and gave off a spectacular howl. 

“We need to go,” Reilly said urgently. They began to veer away from the creature as it cried loudly into the air, as if it was a warning to something.

Michael glanced back at it as he hurried in the other direction. It couldn’t be doing what he thought it was doing, could it?

A few seconds later and they heard a reply. The mutant was on its way back. 

They started to run, but without knowing where exactly the danger was, it was hard to know which direction was safest. 

After a few minutes of running, Michael saw it. In the distance, in the shade of the trees. It was coming for them. He let off his gun instinctively, prompting a few others to do the same as it ripped through the foliage towards them. He heard cursing and screaming as their fears seemed to be coming true. 

It would kill them all, just like in the Badlands. Michael remembered those crushed and torn apart bodies. He didn’t want to become one of those corpses, ripped apart by a monster. He desperately wanted to see Alicia and his son again. He couldn’t die like this. He kept firing, sweat covering his body as the adrenaline made his heart race.  _ Just go down,  _ he pleaded inwardly.  _ Just stop _ .

“HEY!” screamed a voice from behind the Cruentusaur. 

Michael realised with horror that it was Curran. He had separated from the others, trying to bait the dino. The creature turned to look at him hungrily.

“That’s right, Ugly. What’s the matter? No one fed you today?” He started firing off his rifle, infuriating the dino. Then he ran.

“TIM, NO!” Michael yelled, watching the dino start to chase Curran. It wasn’t much of a chase. The dino seized Curran with its massive fangs, letting off an unsettling crunching noise before tossing the body with great force. 

“NO!!!” Michael watched with terror as Curran’s body flew over the trees and disappeared. Reilly held him back to stop him going after him. He fought her grip, screaming, prompting Lee to grab hold of him too.

“He’s gone, Corporal!”

Michael couldn’t breathe. His eyes were wide with shock. There was no time to process what had happened. Reilly pushed him violently to get him moving. He ran, following the others as the distraction began to wear off and the creature turned back around. But they were already gone. 

They ran until they couldn’t run anymore, until they were safe or as good as. Michael doubled over, struggling to catch his breath. His heart just kept racing. He kept replaying what had just happened in his head. Curran yelling, that unpalatable  _ crunch  _ as the monster sunk its teeth into his bones, his limp body flying across the jungle like a piece of meat.

He didn’t even notice Reilly lifting his head up, waving her hand in front of his eyes.

“He’s in shock,” she told Lee. “Michael, you need to focus.”

“I’m fine,” Michael snapped, batting her away. He’d just realised his eyes and face were wet. He blinked the moisture away. 

He was barely aware of anything as Reilly ensured their safe return back to the Rhinos. He was numb as she sat in the back with him, speaking to him softly. He couldn’t recall anything of what she said, but he’d nod every now and then and pretend he was listening. 

He didn’t say a word as they returned to the colony, bruised and battered. Passersby gathered around hopefully only to be informed of the bad news. Michael ignored them all; he didn’t even acknowledge his father as he emerged from the Command Centre to hear of the mission’s failure. 

Reilly walked Michael back to Wash’s house, handing him over to her as if he were a lost child. He certainly felt like one as he collapsed onto the couch, disorientated, thinking of how he had just watched his friend die. It happened so quickly, but it always did. Every time he watched someone die, it always seemed to happen so suddenly. No time to process it, to question it, to prevent it. Curran was just gone. Just like Gus, just like Guzman. Just like all the others.

Alicia sat on the couch next to him and attempted to hand him a glass of water. He didn’t acknowledge her. He didn’t notice. He just kept thinking how quickly and destructively that creature had taken Tim’s life, like it was nothing. For a long time, he didn’t even blink. Wash had just about given up getting a reaction out of him when he raised his head and looked her dead in the eye.

“Alicia...We need to get everyone out. Now.”


	30. Chapter 30

Lucas watched the vehicles roll through the Portal Terminus, fully stacked with fresh weapons and supplies. The remote had been an easy fix. A simple change of the damaged battery had got it working again. Hooper probably could have figured that out if he actually had a brain. Luckily there had been some stashed away at the Sixer camp. Now Lucas sat on a nearby rock, letting Hooper’s soldiers regroup as he used some newly acquired medical supplies to change his bandages. He winced. The wound was still tender, but healing well.Thanks to Skye. He pulled down his shirt, glancing over at the many containers that Hooper’s men were piling up.

“What is all that stuff?” he asked curiously.

“Crap load of tranquiliser,” one of the soldiers answered. “Gonna need it if we want to take that thing alive.”

Lucas bit his tongue, thinking seriously about this plan of Hooper’s. He wanted to be on the winning side, sure, but did he want to get torn apart by a rampaging dinosaur in the process? He was pretty certain of his answer.

“Hey, Genius!” Hooper’s grating voice sounded from the terminus. Lucas looked over to see Hooper walking towards him. “We’re back on track thanks to you. Food, medical supplies, reinforcements. Everything we need to win.”

“Wouldn’t get too cocky just yet,” Lucas mumbled. “We were prepared last time and look where you ended up.”

Hooper scowled at him. “That won’t happen again, I’ll make sure of it. Now come on, he wants to see you.”

“Who?”

“The new Nichol. Or at least the guy representing him.”

Lucas raised an eyebrow. “Why does he want to see me?” 

“I guess he still thinks you’re an asset,” Hooper shrugged. He noted Lucas’ scepticism. “Just go. Maybe he has a better offer than Nichol did. This could be your lucky day.”

With a heavy sigh, Lucas got to his feet and dragged himself over to the portal.

In a few seconds, he was transported from the middle of the jungle to a very large hangar. He looked around, adjusting to the dim lighting and the artificial air. It looked very similar to Hope Plaza, with its own large terminus anchoring the fracture. The set up was a lot more sophisticated than Nichol’s rushed attempt. 

“Lucas Taylor,” he heard an authoritative voice greet him. Lucas stepped forward to see a man in military uniform standing some distance ahead of him. “General Grant Mercer,” he introduced himself, stepping closer. Lucas studied him. He was a tall man, stoic, confident. He had heavy brows, giving him a permanent look of anger. 

“You’re Philbrick’s replacement,” Lucas guessed. “You work for EdenCorp.” 

“Actually, I work for the government,” Mercer replied. “I represent a politician.”

“Of course,” Lucas said cynically. “A rich politician trying to make himself richer.”

Mercer’s dark eyes watched him. Lucas felt like he was being examined. He narrowed his gaze at him, wondering what exactly this was leading to.

“I’ve made Hooper’s instructions very clear in terms of this unique dinosaur,” Mercer continued. “My employer is very interested in it.”

“And Terra Nova?” Lucas interrupted him. That’s what  _ he _ was interested in.

Mercer smirked slightly. “He wants the colony stabilised. He has big plans for it.”

Lucas nodded, expecting this. “Control the past, control the future,” he said bitterly, quoting Nichol’s favourite phrase from long ago.

Mercer ignored the comment.

“I understand you and Ms Nichol had an arrangement,” he said gravely. “My question is: are you interested in making a new one?”

Lucas paused a moment, considering the offer. 

“What do you want me to do?”

* * *

The council didn’t take much convincing on the evacuation, though Jim still seemed hesitant. Michael had to remind himself that Jim wasn’t a soldier. He hadn’t had the training he’d had. He didn’t know how to survive outside the gates. Michael did. He knew that most of the wildlife in this world wouldn’t make it up the mountain, especially the Cruentusaur. They’d have a better chance of survival up there than down here.

The preparations began the following day. Michael left Alicia’s house to find the colonists busily packing their things. The market was empty, supplies and equipment were being loaded onto vehicles or piled up outside. He walked past Malcolm outside the Infirmary; he was complaining about having to leave behind the majority of his research and equipment. 

Michael sympathised. It wasn’t going to be easy leaving everything behind. This was their home and they had dedicated their lives to protecting it. Abandoning it seemed to be a betrayal of everything the colony stood for. But they had no choice. There was no reasoning with a wild animal. It would kill and destroy until there was nothing left.

He met Alicia and his father by the Command Centre. His father was holding William, looking down at him with a big smile. Michael was taken aback. He couldn’t remember the last time his father had smiled so much. He almost felt guilty for interrupting as he came up behind them. 

“Michael,” his father addressed him, looking up from the infant in his arms. “I was just saying goodbye to my grandson here.”

Michael forced a smile. A beat of awkwardness passed before Taylor handed Will back to Michael. The small boy let out a playful noise before returning to silence again. 

“You’re sure you and Will should be in the first group?” Taylor questioned him.

Michael held Will close to his chest. “I want to get my son out of here before that thing attacks again.” He softened, noticing his father’s concerned gaze. “Don’t worry. The recon team have found a safe spot on the mountain. By the time we get there, everything will be set up for us.”

Taylor nodded. “I know you’ll do what’s best for him.” He looked back towards Alicia. “I’ll leave you two alone…” 

As he headed back for the Command Centre, Michael turned to Alicia, trying to balance his son in his arms. “I wish you’d come with us. I’d feel much better about this if we all left together.”

“I know,” she said softly. “But like I said the other night, it’s our job to protect the colony. You get the civilians out, I’ll make sure our home is still standing when you get back.”

He stared at her with a concerned expression. He wished there was something he could say to change her mind, but he knew there wasn’t. “Keep safe,” he told her. 

He leaned in to kiss her goodbye. He was reminded of the last time she had kissed him goodbye like this, before she was almost lost to him forever. With that in mind, he lingered on her lips for a second or two longer. 

“I love you,” she whispered. Then she kissed Baby Will on his head too. “Both of you. Come back to me.”

She squeezed Michael’s hand and he smiled reassuringly at her before he stepped back and released her, letting go of her comforting touch. “See you soon.”

She watched them leave, her gaze unwavering, full of worry. Then she got back to work. She had a colony to protect.

The first group involved about forty people. Jim and Mira were at the helm, tasked with supervising the base camp once they could take over from the recon team. Sienna was close behind, getting to know the youngest Shannon, Zoe. Josh and Maddy Shannon were also in attendance, along with Mark, Skye, Deborah, Tasha, and several other familiar faces. 

Michael had watched the Shannons say goodbye to Elisabeth, who was staying behind with her patients until the last possible moment. He knew Jim would have the same worry for Elisabeth’s safety as he did for Wash’s. Luckily, he didn’t let it affect his duty as he instructed the large convoy of people to line up in an orderly manner. 

They were leaving via the West gate, avoiding all routes where the dinosaur had been seen. They had been given a total of five vehicles to carry the supplies and luggage and to also transport anyone who would struggle with the two hour walk. 

The groups would be staggered throughout the day, leaving hourly. Their limited vehicles would return to the colony to escort the next group, and so on until everyone had made it out. It was agreed that this would be the safest method of evacuation. 

Michael had requested to be in the first group, eager to get his son to safety. He would have volunteered to stay behind but he and Wash had agreed that one of them should stay with Will. 

As he joined the large group, Michael gratefully handed Will over to Maddy who took the baby with delight. 

“Thanks again, Maddy. I appreciate you taking care of him while I’m on duty.”

“Of course!” Maddy beamed, giggling as Will playfully grabbed at her long hair. “It’s what a godmother is for!”

“Don’t go getting any ideas,” Mark teased Maddy, packing up a Rhino behind her. “At least not until all this is over with. I’m fine with just being a godfather for now!”

Michael smiled. Early that morning, before the evacuation, he and Wash had called round Mark and Maddy’s house to ask if they would be Will’s godparents. It had been somewhat out of the blue, but as military parents, they both needed reassurance that their baby would be in good hands if anything were to happen to them. The newly wedded couple were touched and, thankfully, they accepted. 

The idea had been funny to Michael when he’d first thought of it. A week or so ago, he and Mark despised each other; the idea of Mark being godparent to his son would have been laughable. But now, he couldn’t think of anyone more perfectly suited. It took a load off of Michael’s mind to know that while he was working, someone would always be looking out for Will. 

He turned around to see Jim Shannon all the way at the front of the convoy, while Michael volunteered to guard the back of the group. He could barely hear Jim from all the way back here, but he could just about make out the use of his father’s overused phrase: 

“Roll out!”

He sniggered and rolled his eyes. Jim’s stint at commanding the colony had caused him to become even more like his father.

He watched as the transport slowly rolled forwards, navigating carefully round the civilians. Michael followed everyone out of the gates, throwing a thumbs up at the guards once everyone had made it out. He took one last glimpse at the colony as the gates slammed shut, wondering what state it would be in when he returned. Then he turned back around to follow the group.

It wasn’t so bad to start off with. It was a mild day, not too hot, though that didn’t stop Michael overheating in his uniform. He was already reaching for his water bottle half an hour in.

As he took a swig of the refreshing liquid, he noticed Tasha walking alongside Deborah and felt an instant pang of guilt. Whenever he looked at her, he was reminded of his failed promise to her father. He hadn’t spoken to her since she had attempted to shoot him several nights ago. He hadn’t reported it either, though he probably should have. He didn’t want to give Tasha any more reason to hate him. She needed someone to blame for what happened to her father; Michael understood that. He’d felt that anger, that uncontrollable grief. It had led him to doing some pretty unforgivable things too. 

He found himself walking up beside them. “Ladies,” he greeted.

Tasha ignored him. Deborah smiled.

“Hi, Michael.”

“Nice day for a walk.” He coughed awkwardly. “How are you, Tasha?”

Tasha frowned at him. “You don’t have to do this.”

“Do what?”

“Whatever it is you’re doing.” She looked over at him, her dark eyes still filled with that recognisable pain. “I’m sorry for what I did to you...what I  _ almost _ did. It was wrong. But whenever I look at you, I just see my dad. I can’t handle it.”

Deborah put an arm around her. “Tasha, sweetheart. It wasn’t Michael’s fault. It was those terrible people.”

“I know,” Tasha snapped. “But I can’t help it.” She glanced back at Michael tearfully. “You were there when he...you watched him die. Then you left to work for the people who killed him. You just left.” She shook Deborah off of her. “I can’t forget that.” 

Michael watched as she stormed off to join her friends Max and Hunter a little ahead of them, feeling even worse about himself than he did before.

Deborah closed the gap between them. “She just needs time.”

Michael smiled appreciatively at her. “Thanks, but she’s right. I promised her dad I would make sure she was okay, but I abandoned her. I abandoned all of you.”

“You had your own family to take care of,” Deborah said softly. “That’s understandable.”

He looked over at her. “I appreciate you being so kind, but I really don’t think I deserve it. You and Skye have been far too forgiving. Especially after what happened the day I left.”

She shook her head. “I know you’d never hurt my daughter. You care about her just as much as I do. You took care of her when I couldn’t. I’ll always be grateful for that. Besides, I have a knack for seeing the good in people…” A look of sadness took over her features. “I heard about what happened to Tim. It’s such a shame.”

A wave of regret hit him at the mention of Curran’s name. He saw flashes of the dino, tearing into him, tossing him aside. Those sharp teeth piercing his flesh. It made his stomach turn. He desperately tried to stop picturing it.

He looked over at Deborah. “He mentioned he visited you a lot.”

“Yes,” she smiled warmly. “I could tell he was struggling with something. He was in a lot of pain. He felt so terrible for what he did. I told him he could talk to me. For a while it seemed like I was the only one who would listen. He kept stopping by every now and then for tea and I guess it just became routine. I was happy to lend an ear when he needed it.”

It comforted Michael to know that Curran hadn’t been entirely alone this past year. It sounded like Deborah had been a good friend. 

“You know,” she continued, “I’m happy to lend an ear to you too if you’re struggling. You and Tim seemed close.”

He smiled at her. “Thank you. But I’m fine.”

“Well, if you change your mind...I’ll be in this crowd of people for the next hour or so,” she laughed.

“What are you two talking about?” Skye asked nosily as she appeared in front of them. 

“You know you’re going the wrong way,” Michael teased, spinning her around to walk the correct way.

She rolled her eyes. “I just came to check on you slow pokes. The folks I’m supervising are pretty boring.” She turned her head to look over at her mother. “How are you doing, Mom? You can take a ride in one of the Rhinos if you’re tired.”

“I’m fine, sweetheart. My body’s not what it used to be, but I’m getting stronger every day!” Skye looked relieved. Her mother looked back and forth between Skye and Michael. “I’ll leave you kids to it,” she said, smiling and walking on to leave the two alone together.

Skye glanced at Michael sympathetically. “I heard about Curran.”

Michael’s expression fell again. “Yeah.” He just wanted to think about anything else. “He died saving us. He died a hero. I hope people remember him for that.”

“We’ll make sure of it,” Skye said.

They walked in silence for a moment when Skye’s body language suddenly became uncomfortable, her face pained, as if she had something she wanted to say but was having trouble saying it. Michael looked over at her with a confused smile.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

She let out a small, exasperated noise: “Ugh. Michael, I kissed Lucas.”

He blinked, unsure if he had heard correctly. “What?”

“I was patching him up and it just happened.”

Michael legitimately didn’t know what to say. He was still trying to process what Skye was saying. He cleared his throat awkwardly. 

Skye looked embarrassed. “It’s okay, we don’t have to talk about it. I just had to tell you. You’re the only one who understands how I feel.”

Michael shifted uncomfortably. Inwardly, he was relieved. He’d rather talk about Curran’s death than  _ this _ . But, still, he felt a little rude palming Skye off if she needed a friendly ear. “I mean, if it’s something you want to talk about…”

“I hate him for what he’s done,” she blurted. “You know I hate him. But he started saying these things. Nice things. About me. I think he meant them.”

He glanced at her, a deep concern in his eyes. “Skye. Please be careful.”

She looked up at him. 

“He’s dangerous. He may be in love with you but he could still really hurt you. I don’t trust him with you and you shouldn’t trust him either.”

“I don’t,” she argued. “But that night. He was different. You said yourself that you saw a different side to him?”

Michael sighed. He remembered telling Skye that, but it didn’t change the fact that he was still unbalanced; a risk to them all. “I think it’s going to be hard for him to let go of all this hate and anger he’s been harbouring all these years. Trust me, I’ve been hoping and wishing he’d give all this up and come home for years, but it’s not that easy. I have seen a change in him, though. Maybe he can still find a way back.”

She gave him a hopeful smile. Then she looked down at her boots. “You said he was in love with me. Do you really think he’s capable of that?”

He paused for a moment before replying. It was a good question. A year ago, he wondered the same thing, having witnessed Lucas’ complete disregard for his own father and brother. But his feelings for Skye, even his feelings for his new nephew, he had demonstrated that he was capable of it, at least in his own complex way. 

“Yeah,” Michael said. “I think he is.”

Crossing an open field, the Terra Novans had the mountain in their sight. They were close. Michael estimated another thirty minute trek before their arrival at the base camp, but even then they had a bit of a climb over rocky terrain before they reached it. They’d have to leave the vehicles at the bottom of the mountain and carry the supplies by hand. Everyone was exhausted, feeling the heat and strain of the long walk, but it would be worth it. Michael just wanted to make sure everyone was safe.

Guarding the back of the line with the stragglers, Michael paused when he heard a low noise, like thunder. He looked upwards, noting the clear skies. No, it wasn’t the weather. It was something in the distance. He looked behind him, noticing a vehicle rolling towards him. Suspicious, he grabbed his sonic rifle.

“Michael?” Skye said nervously, turning around with her mother.

“Keep going, Skye.”

Maddy also glanced back at the incoming vehicle, carrying Will in a home-made baby carrier. Mark touched her shoulder and told her to keep walking before he took up a place next to Michael.

As five more vehicles emerged behind the first one, Michael’s suspicions began to increase.

“Those aren’t ours,” Mark muttered to him.

“Nope.” 

The large rover stopped in front of them, with the others pulling up behind. The corporals poised their weapons, prepared for a fight, when Hooper stepped out.

Michael pointed his weapon at him, when he noticed Lucas step out from the back seat. He looked at him with disappointment. Of course he had rejoined forces with the Phoenix Group. Lucas glanced at him, avoiding his judgemental gaze.

It was then Michael noticed Skye had appeared beside him, giving Lucas much the same expression. He told her to go back and join the convoy, but she refused. There was no point telling her to do anything, even if he did out-rank her now. So Michael turned his attention back to Hooper as a few armed soldiers joined him. He recognised a few of them from EdenCorp. Hooper had obviously managed to use the portal afterall.

“What do you want, Hooper?” 

“Aren’t you Terra Novans a little far from home?” he asked smugly. 

Michael ignored him. “I said  _ what do you want _ ?”

Hooper smirked. “I’ve got new orders. Don’t worry, it doesn’t involve your people...yet.” 

“I’m guessing it involves that thing running around in the jungle?” Mark said. 

Excitement flashed in the older man’s eyes. “Yeah. And since you’re evacuating the colony, I’m guessing it’s nearby?”

“You’re going on a suicide mission,” Michael told him. “We learned the hard way, that thing can’t be taken down that easily.”

“Interesting. You fought it. When?”

Michael glanced at Mark. “Yesterday. A team of us tried to hunt it down. But we failed. It killed one of our men.” 

Hooper raised his brows with intrigue. “Well, as you can see, our new employer has provided us with all the supplies we need to take it down. All we need to know now is where it is.”

The soldiers behind him immediately raised their rifles. The three Terra Novans did the same.

“You’re coming with us, Corporal Taylor.”

“Like hell he is,” Mark spat.

“If you want to find it, it’s your own funeral. I’ll mark it on a map if that’ll make you happy,” said Michael, his gun still trained on Hooper.

Hooper shook his head. “I want you to show us  _ exactly _ where you last saw it. It’s too valuable to let it slip away.”

“Find it yourself!” snapped Skye. “You’ll run into it eventually.”

Hooper sighed dramatically. “Fine. Well, since Terra Nova appears to be in its trajectory, maybe we should try there. I’m sure whoever hasn’t evacuated would be happy for a demonstration of our new arsenal.”

Glaring daggers at him, Michael lowered his weapon. He could picture Hooper attacking Terra Nova again, purely out of spite. He couldn’t let that happen. There were plenty of people who hadn’t evacuated, Wash included. He exhaled sharply.

“Fine. I’ll go.”

Mark stared at him. “What?” 

“Michael, you can’t!” Skye argued.

He handed his rifle to her. “Just make sure everyone gets to the camp okay. Keep them safe.” He looked at Mark. “Take care of Will for me?”

Mark nodded, knowing there was no point in trying to talk him out of it. 

Michael approached the vehicle, passing Lucas, who he shook his head at as he pulled himself into the back of the rover. Lucas frowned at him, then his eyes settled upon Skye who looked equally as discontent. With nothing he could say, he tore away his gaze and got back in the vehicle, just in time for Hooper to order them back towards the jungle.


	31. Chapter 31

“Don’t look so upset, boys,” Hooper said, looking back at Michael and Lucas awkwardly sitting next to each other in the back seat. He looked between them with amusement. “You know, my cousin had identical twins. Two minutes apart, though the older one acted as if she were far more superior because of it.” He chuckled. “I heard there was a delay when you came through the portal, Corporal. Guess that means you’re now six months younger than your brother, huh? Ain’t that something?” He laughed again and turned back around in his seat.

Michael glanced at Lucas. Bizarrely, he hadn’t even contemplated the fact that now Lucas was the older brother. He’d had six extra months. Months which Michael had lost in a matter of seconds. They didn’t find it as funny as Hooper. 

Some time later, Michael had managed to direct Hooper’s men to more or less the last place he had seen the dinosaur. 

“Show me,” Hooper demanded, leaping out of the vehicle. 

Michael sighed and followed him as the other vehicles stopped nearby. He recognised this place from the map, but he wasn’t sure he would be able to pinpoint exactly where the dinosaur was when he last saw it. 

He thought back to that moment and shuddered. 

“Sir!” one of the soldiers yelled from several feet away. 

Hooper immediately jogged over to a soldier who was knelt down examining something. 

Michael followed, looking over the man’s shoulder before immediately recoiling.

“Guessing this is your man, Corporal?” Hooper said bleakly, looking up from the corpse below. 

Michael nodded, forcing himself to look at Curran’s body. He lay at an unnatural angle, his skin pale and his eyes glazed over. As he came closer, he could see the man’s legs were broken and his left arm had been ripped off. The body was soaked in blood, staining the green foliage he had landed in. It was a miracle the wildlife hadn’t eaten him yet, though the insects appeared to have been feasting on him all night. 

The soldiers behind him gagged. Hooper instructed them to search the area, leaving Michael to mourn.

Michael felt a tightness in his chest and throat. He wanted to scream. Tim hadn’t deserved this. He leaned forwards and gently closed the man’s eyelids, hiding his glassy pupils. 

“I recognise him,” he heard Lucas comment behind him. “He was at the Sixer camp. Didn’t he murder one of your own? Why are you so upset?”

Michael didn’t even look at him. 

“I don’t expect you to understand, Lucas,” Michael said through gritted teeth. “You’ve never had a friend in your life.”

He couldn’t determine how offended Lucas was as he glanced back. He didn’t really care. Instead, he began digging into the dirt with his bare hands.

Lucas stepped closer. “What are you doing?” 

“I’m burying him.”

“We don’t have time for this.”

“I’ll  _ make _ time!” Michael snapped, digging deeper into the soil. “If you help me, it’ll go a lot quicker.”

“You’re joking, right?”

Michael looked back, studying Lucas with contempt. “I suppose.” Then he continued digging.

Lucas watched him for a few minutes. It was a pitiful sight. He feared his brother might just break down and cry, and that would be even more pathetic. He murmured something to Hooper, who looked back and rolled his eyes before following after his men. 

Lucas grabbed a sonic and approached his brother, pointing the weapon in his direction. “Step back,” he said.

Michael looked at him with horror. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Move!”

Michael got to his feet and stepped back, watching as Lucas blasted the sonic into the ground, forming a small crater. He fired again and again, making the hole bigger, until it was large enough to fit a human inside. Michael glanced at Lucas, surprised. Then he got to work on burying his friend. He knelt beside Curran, lifting him from his torso and placing him into the hole gently. After a minute, he noticed the man’s weight lift slightly. Lucas had hold of his feet. Together, they placed Curran in the ground. 

Michael was instantly reminded of when he buried Guzman. It felt much like this. Unceremonial. Messy. Uncivilised. It wasn’t the funeral either of them deserved.

After they had placed the dirt over Curran’s body, Michael and Lucas stood together, staring at the grave as they wiped the dirt from their hands. Michael was glad that it had been done. It was a small comfort to know that Tim was at rest and that Michael could pay him one last respect. 

They stood in silence for a few minutes. Lucas glanced over at his brother.

“You were wrong,” he said softly. “I  _ do _ know what it’s like to lose a friend.”

He stared at Michael despondently for a second before leaving him alone. 

Michael turned his gaze back to the fresh grave in front of him. He heard Lucas and Hooper talking behind him.

“There’s a trail but apparently it goes cold about 20 klicks out.”

“Which direction?” Lucas asked.

“Take a guess.”

“ _ Terra Nova _ .”

“No,” Michael said, turning around. “You said you’d leave Terra Nova out of this.”

“Mmmm no we didn’t,” Hooper said obnoxiously. “We’re getting this dinosaur. Are you gonna be a problem for us, Corporal?”

“We should just get rid of him right now,” another soldier muttered. 

“He has started to outlive his usefulness,” Hooper agreed.

“Wait,” Lucas said abruptly. “We want to get into Terra Nova, right? It’ll be safer to take down the creature from inside a barricade.”

“And?” Hooper said impatiently.

“If we want to get inside without wasting ammunition, we can use him as a bargaining chip. Then once we’re in, we can take control and wait for the creature to come to us.”

Michael watched Hooper consider this with a sly smirk. “I like it. Take over the colony  _ and  _ capture the creature.”

“Two birds with one stone,” Lucas agreed smugly.

“Using me as a hostage isn’t going to get you inside,” Michael said angrily.

“Shut up and get in the car,” Hooper snapped, shoving him towards the vehicle. Michael complied hesitantly, shooting Lucas a nervous look. He wondered just what kind of mess Lucas was leading him into now.

* * *

**EdenCorp 2150, Several Months Ago**

Of course Lucas was on the roof. Michael found him, bottle of whiskey in hand, peering down at the chaos below him - watching the riots disrupting the streets opposite EdenCorp. 

“I thought I’d find you here,” he mumbled, pulling Lucas away from the edge. “Get down before you kill yourself.”

Lucas looked him up and down in his Phoenix Group uniform. “Sorry,  _ Captain _ ,” he said drunkenly. “It’s the only peace I can get from our  _ charming _ employers.” He took a swig of his whiskey as Michael turned him around back to safety. “Care for some, brother? It’s the finest Nichol’s money can buy.”

“No thanks.” He continued leading his brother towards the exit. “You shouldn’t even be out here, the air’s not filtered up here.”

Lucas halted. “Come on,” he encouraged. “You look like you’ve had a rough day.”

Michael considered it, then snatched the bottle and took a swig of it, much to Lucas’ delight. Michael watched as his brother slumped to the floor. He looked pretty beaten down after the screaming match with their employer earlier. Turning to drink seemed to be his way of dealing with things lately. After the day Michael had had, he felt like he could do with an escape too. 

“We lost a good man today,” Michael admitted. “His name was Gus.”

“A good man?  _ Really _ ?” Lucas scoffed. “In the Phoenix Group?”

“He was a volunteer,” Michael explained. “He was just trying to do right by his family.” He took another swig of the bottle, the liquid sliding down his throat with ease as he handed it back to Lucas.

“Ah. Just like you,” Lucas said ironically. Sometimes Michael wanted to punch that smirk right off his stupid face.

“I guess.” Michael sat opposite his brother, looking miserable. The more they drank, the less they cared about the poisonous fumes they were breathing in.

“Do you worry you’ll be a bad father?” Lucas suddenly asked him, raising the bottle to his lips again. “That maybe it’s just in our genetics?”

“I hope not.” Michael paused, a worried look in his eyes. “You think I’ll be just like Dad?”

“You  _ were _ once,” Lucas admitted. “But you changed. And I’m glad.” He smirked at him. “I’m glad you’re here. We can be like brothers again. Just like we were as kids, remember?”

“Hmm.” Michael agreed half-heartedly. He remembered their close bond as children, how they would play and laugh together endlessly. They seemed to have so much more in common then. How easy would it really be to reignite a bond like that, after all that had happened between them?

Lucas’ expression darkened as he thought about their father again. “I hate him,” he muttered, the anger flashing in his eyes. “I  _ hate _ him. Promise me you’ll never go back to him.”

“Not likely,” Michael replied resentfully. “He ruined my life.”

“That’s it.” Lucas passed the bottle back to him and watched Michael drink. “He will pay. Eventually.”

“We’ll make him pay together,” Michael said, raising the bottle in a toast.

Lucas chuckled. He was so slumped over he may as well be lying down. “You do mean that, brother? You hate him just as much as I do?” 

“You know I do,” Michael said, though he doubted anyone could hate their father as much as Lucas did.

Lucas’ smirk softened and he gazed up at Michael, trying to appear solemn through that drunken haze. “You wouldn’t betray me, would you, brother?”

Michael swallowed the whiskey, returning his brother’s intense stare. “Of course not, Lucas.” 

“Good.” Lucas sat up, stealing the whiskey from Michael’s grasp again. “Because if you did, you would regret it.” He chuckled again, downing the rest of the liquid before throwing the bottle to the floor. “My work calls,” he said bitterly, wobbling to his feet before staggering to the exit, mumbling profanities and insults about Nichol and her rich colleagues. 

Michael frowned, watching him, repeating his words in his head and wondering if he really meant them. 

He hoped he’d never find out.

* * *

**Terra Nova, Now**

“Is this what you wanted?” Michael asked Lucas with contempt as they sat in the back of the rover. “All those months at EdenCorp, grovelling to Nichol, all those long nights in the lab doing her bidding. Will this make it all worth it?”

“There was a time you wanted this too,” Lucas reminded him. “You wanted our father to pay just as much as I did.”

“No,” Michael said, appalled. “I never wanted  _ this _ . There are hundreds of people at Terra Nova, Lucas. You’re willing to endanger them so you can feel better about yourself.”

Lucas scoffed. “Collateral -” 

“Collateral damage,” Michael interrupted him disdainfully, remembering Lucas’ views on civilian casualties. “Right. Is my son collateral damage? This is his home now.”

Michael watched Lucas. He was usually more expressive in his features, but now he appeared just as stoic and unreadable as their father. Michael assumed the conversation was over, but after a long moment, Lucas spoke up.

“I thought killing him, destroying everything he worked for would bring me some peace. But now I realise perhaps nothing will.” 

Michael tried not to feel sorry for him. But he truly was a hollow man. Even the hate he’d held inside for all these years was no longer fulfilling for him. He was getting emptier by the minute. Michael took a hold of his shoulder. “Then please stop,” Michael implored, noticing that the colony was in sight. He glanced nervously out through the window. “Stop all of this.”

Lucas examined his expression, his gaze narrowing with suspicion. “Hooper, stop the rover.” 

Hooper glanced back at him. “Huh?”

“I said stop!” Lucas yelled at the driver who slammed the brakes on. 

Michael breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe his brother had changed his mind after all.

“What the hell are we stopping for?” demanded Hooper, clearly agitated. 

Lucas didn’t break his gaze from Michael’s, reading him like a book. It was like a weird intuition thing. He knew what was going on. 

“Where are the explosives planted, Michael?”

Michael sighed defeatedly. 

“It’s smart,” Lucas admitted. “It’s what I would have done if I were in your shoes. The colony’s under threat, there’s an unstoppable creature coming. I don’t blame the old man for wanting to blow it to hell. Unless we triggered the bomb first, of course. We don’t want that, do we?”

“Alright,” Michael said. “I’ll show you.”

Disgruntled, Michael disarmed a few of the explosives along the treeline. Enough to satisfy Hooper, who didn’t want his expensive asset to burn up in flames. He’d left a few active further along, but Hooper didn’t need to know about those. As long as they had a safe path through, he was satisfied.

Partly, Michael was relieved. At least he wasn’t going to be blown to pieces today.

His heart rate began to increase again as they approached the colony. He could see his colleagues manning the towers. They spotted Hooper’s men immediately and raised their weapons. 

Their rover came to a halt in front of the gates and Hooper dragged Michael out of the vehicle. 

They heard yelling on the other side of the gates as more men came rushing over. He looked up and saw Alicia in the tower, watching with trepidation as Michael was pushed forward. He couldn’t help being reminded of when the roles were reversed, and she was the one being bundled out of the Sixer vehicle. He remembered the panic he felt at the sight of her as their prisoner. He hated that he was being used against her in this way.

“Terra Novans!” Hooper yelled. “Or whatever’s left of you. I’m here with a proposition.”

“What do you want?” Wash shouted back furiously, pointing her weapon directly at him. 

“Where’s your Commander?” 

“He’s on his way.”

“I’ll make this simple then,” Hooper announced. He kicked Michael’s shins, causing him to buckle to his knees. Then he pointed the gun at his head. “Let us in or we’ll kill the Commander’s son. You know, the one he actually  _ likes _ .”

Michael felt the hard metal on the back of his skull. His breath caught in his throat.Wash was staring back at him with an intensity, seething with anger. But he could see the fear in her eyes too. Michael knew she was weighing up her options. She had to make a decision: accept defeat and hand the colony over to the enemy, or let Michael die. He knew it couldn’t be the former. They couldn’t lose the colony again. Not when Hooper wanted to invite a monster to their doorstep. 

She had to fight. She had to stop them while she still could. She would know that. He locked eyes with her. This was familiar. He had a sickening feeling in his gut, being reminded of the night he thought he watched her die. Lucas had the gun to her head, about to pull the trigger. But she kept looking at Michael right until the last second _.  _

So he focused on her. He nodded.  _ It’s okay _ .  _ Fight.  _ She had sacrificed herself once. If this was what it took to give her and their son a fighting chance then he was willing to sacrifice himself too.  _ It’s okay _ .

She hesitated. There was pain in her expression; an impossible decision. So this was what it was like to be on the other side. A long moment went by and Hooper was losing patience.

“No? Okay then.”

The gun fired. Wash screamed. Blood splattered across Michael’s face. For a long second, his body froze. In shock. He looked down, noting he was still in one piece.  _ What the hell? _ Trembling, he looked over to see Hooper’s body crumpling to the floor behind him, and Lucas holding a pistol up where his head had been. 

Confusion swept over everyone as Lucas threw down the pistol and Hooper’s men instinctively pointed their weapons on him.

“On behalf of poor dead Hooper here, I surrender,” Lucas declared cooly, as if he hadn’t just shot a man in the head right in front of everyone. “I’d like to talk to my father now.”

Michael stared at him, eyes wide with alarm. All he could think was that he could taste Hooper’s blood in his mouth. 

“What the hell are you doing?!” one of Hooper’s men screamed at Lucas.

“Oh, he was going to get you all killed anyway,” Lucas said dismissively. 

“You’re surrendering?” another spluttered.

“Trust me,” Lucas said, smiling with that look of madness in his eyes.

“What the hell is going on here?” 

Lucas turned around to see the Commander coming through the gates, fury and confusion all over his face. “Lucas, what have you done?”

Before Lucas could respond, he felt a rifle being pressed to his shoulder blade. “Stand down,” a soldier warned him. 

Lucas grit his teeth. “Look, I know which side of the gates I want to be on when that thing comes. How about you?”

“We had orders.”

“Screw your orders. Don’t you people ever think for yourselves?”

“He just wanted to save his brother,” another soldier said angrily. “He doesn’t care about this mission. I say shoot them all!”

All of a sudden, the soldier pointing his rifle at Lucas fell to the floor. Lucas turned to see the man had been shot. They looked around, trying to spot the attacker, when another man fell, and another. 

Michael looked back towards the treeline, seeing Jim, Skye, and Mark running out with their weapons. A gunfight ensued, the Phoenix Group soldiers firing back in retaliation, taking cover behind their vehicles. Michael stayed low, passing Hooper’s corpse and dodging the bullets to grab Lucas.

“Lucas - we need to get inside!” He pulled him towards the gates. Lucas didn’t argue. They ran, but not without unwanted attention. Michael felt the bullets fly past him as one of the soldiers turned their weapon on him. A second later, he looked back to see the man collapse in agony. He looked up at the guard tower. Alicia was covering them. He kept running, dragging Lucas along with him until they got to the gates. Taylor pulled them inside, taking cover behind the fence. 

At the worst possible moment, a gigantic roar echoed throughout the colony, deafening almost everyone as the firing stopped and people had to cover their ears to muffle the terrible noise. 

They all looked at each other.

“It’s here,” Lucas said. 

They saw the violent shaking of the trees first, then the flashes of its scaly skin as it tore through the shrubbery. 

Then everything erupted into fire as the explosives Michael left hidden were triggered, causing an inferno to explode by the treeline. 

There were screams of terror. The enemy soldiers staggered to the ground in shock as the explosion gradually ended, leaving a mess of fire and smoke. Inside the gates, the colonists peered out carefully. 

Through the fumes, a large head emerged; the left half silver and scaly, the right half fleshy and pink where the explosion had burned half the creature’s face off. It let out an agonising roar. Then it started to run. 

“Close the gates!” Taylor yelled urgently. 

“No!” Michael exclaimed. “Skye’s still out there!”

Taylor looked through the gaps in the fence, seeing Skye with Jim and Mark, all taking cover in the long grass. Taylor locked eyes with Jim, who nodded at him. 

“Close the gates,” Taylor said again, solemnly. “We have to protect the colony.” 

“Dad…”

“Do it!” Taylor demanded. “They’ll be fine. I’ll get to them.” He grabbed his rifle, just in time to witness the dino trampling the Phoenix Group and their vehicles. The soldiers fired desperately, many of them retrieving new weapons from their vehicles. They fired what looked like darts into the creature’s body. The Terra Novans fired too, angering it further. 

Michael looked over to see Skye and the others nearing the gates, just as the dino flung around to hit Skye with its sharp tail. It sent her flying back towards the treeline. 

“SKYE!” Michael yelled fearfully, but before he could do anything, Lucas bolted out the gates as they were closing, ducking underneath the barrier. Michael instinctively went to follow him when his father stopped him in his tracks. 

“I’ll get them. Stay here. Protect the colony!” Then he ducked under the barrier and sprinted after his son. 

Michael looked up at Wash in the tower, who gave him an encouraging look. Then she looked back at the dino and ordered her people to shoot it down. Michael complied as someone handed him a weapon and he began to fire through the gaps in the fence, trying desperately to down this bullet-absorbing monster. 

As the creature screeched in pain, Lucas sped towards Skye, ignoring the beast as it chewed up men and spat them out in his direction. Skye was laid down in the grass with Jim at her side and Mark covering them. Lucas swiftly pushed Jim away, leaning over Skye to see if she was alright. She was bleeding profusely through her shirt.

“Bucket…”

Her bright eyes focused on him. She could barely speak. 

As the Commander ran up to them, Jim pulled him aside. “We need to get her to Elisabeth.” Taylor nodded. 

“Just need to get past this thing,” Mark reminded them, ensuring he was between them and the rampaging monster that was going through soldier after soldier. 

Taylor knelt beside his son. Lucas had his hands on Skye’s wounds, attempting to stop the blood flow. But it wasn’t working. The fear in his eyes was so real; so intense. For the first time in a long time, Taylor could see that he was terrified. 

“Son…” He put a hand on Lucas’ shoulder. 

Lucas didn’t bat him away. To everyone’s surprise, he let his father touch him. 

“We can save her, but we need to get her inside. Can you carry her?”

Lucas looked up at him, the green in his eyes obscured with moisture. He nodded. 

“Alright.” Taylor stood up, holding his rifle. “Let’s do this.”

Lucas lifted Skye in his arms, following his father as he led them for the gates.

The dinosaur’s behaviour was getting more erratic. It was obvious the Phoenix Group had been shooting it with some sort of tranquilizer. However, the dosage hadn’t been able to knock it out completely. It’s movements were slow and heavy, but still dangerous. In fact, in its new, dazed state, it began to lash out in a different manner. It began thrashing at the gates.

The impact of the dinosaur’s body against the gates made Michael and the other Terra Novans step back. They could see the force had caused a crack in the colony’s barriers.

“Lieutenant!” Michael called for Wash’s attention. She glanced at the deteriorating defences as the dino stepped back and rammed the gates, again and again. The wood began to snap and bend. 

“Get back!” Wash ordered. “Get away from the gates!”

The Terra Novans stepped back further as they witnessed their defences crumbling. That thing was coming in; they couldn’t stop it now.

Taylor stopped a safe distance away from the gate, realising their entry was blocked. 

“What now?” said Mark, watching helplessly.

The group jumped back in surprise as another large creature leapt out in front of them, launching itself into the mutant dinosaur. A Carnotaurus; it had come at the dino with such a force that it sent them both toppling into the gates.

And that was it. The gate crashed open, the two creatures wrestling each other in the debris. Bits of wood flung into the air, hitting some of the soldiers. Michael himself was knocked to the ground as a large chunk slammed into his chest. He hit the floor, winded, unable to breathe. 

He became aware of a pair of hands on him, lifting him to his feet. Alicia. She was yelling at them to get back as the dinos continued their fight through the colony. As Michael moved he heard a loud crash behind him; the Carno had thrown the creature into the ground, narrowly missing him.

The soldiers spread out for cover, trying to avoid the messy fight as the mutant picked the Carno up by its neck and flung it into Boylan’s Bar, knocking down the canopy over its entrance. The Carno picked itself up quickly and charged. It forced the creature into the wooden beams of the Command Centre. They instantly snapped and collapsed, the wooden staircases falling to pieces. The Cruentusaur raised its head, tearing through the balcony and ripping out the barriers. 

Outside, Commander Taylor watched with horror as his home was destroyed; his Command Base crushed to pieces. 

“Dad,” a meek voice came from behind him.

Lucas, covered in blood, presented Skye in his arms. She was fading fast. 

Taylor looked at them, momentarily speechless. He wasn’t used to Lucas looking so helpless. Moreover, he hadn’t been “dad” to him in a long time. His eyes cast over Skye’s weak frame. For once, his son was genuinely asking for his help. He was asking him to save her.

“I’ll get Elisabeth out of there,” Jim announced, not waiting for a reply before racing inside to ensure his wife’s safety. 

Taylor tried to focus. He spoke into his communicator, ordering all soldiers to the North Gate. He looked back at his son again. He wasn’t the man he had fought and beaten. He was that scared child again, terrified of losing someone he loved. 

“We’ll get the doctor,” he assured him. “Stay here with her. Reynolds - with me.” He and Mark hastily disappeared inside the colony.

Lucas watched them go. He gently placed Skye in the dirt, kneeling beside her as he watched the tears slide down her cheeks.

“Bucket?”

“Lucas.” She gasped. “It hurts.”

“The doctor will be here in a minute.” He examined the wound again but all he could see was blood, thick and dark. He frowned.

Through her pained expression, she managed a smirk. “Tears?” she whispered, noticing his own eyes gleam with a thick film of moisture. “For me?”

He exhaled shakily, letting the moisture drip down his face. He knew she didn’t have much time. He wanted to save her, the way she saved him. But once again, he was failing.

He kept his gaze on Skye, watching those blue eyes start to close. 

“Stay awake, Bucket,” he told her. “The doctor is coming.”

“Can’t…” she said sleepily. She coughed weakly as she attempted to sit up.

“Save your energy,” he warned her. 

Another tear slid down her face. “I’m afraid.”

“There’s no need to be afraid. You’re braver than you think, Bucket.” He looked down. “It takes a strong person to go through what you have and still be loyal,  _ good _ . I couldn’t be that strong.”

“You could,” she rasped, looking at him from the corner of her eyes. It was too much of a strain to turn her head.

He shook his head disbelievingly. “You still think you can save me.”

He watched her tiny smirk, then he heard some unsettling noises behind him. He spun around to see a mix of dinos circling them. Ovosaur, Howlers, Nykoraptors. He immediately crawled over to a soldier’s corpse, grabbing a discarded weapon and fired shots at them, yelling, warning them off. Maybe they’d be distracted by the corpses in front of them, but they didn’t seem interested. Instead, they headed into the colony. Lucas tried not to let his confusion distract him. He crawled back over to Skye. 

“Bucket?”

Her eyes were closed, her body still. He shook her but there was no response.

Lucas got to his feet, facing away from her, feeling like he was about to explode. He let out a disparaging yell, hearing it echo satisfyingly in the distance. He swiped at his sore eyes, catching his breath. 

He turned around. His fearful expression suddenly darkened. Looking at Skye, he realised his father was going to let her die, just like he did with his mother. He wasn’t going to let history repeat itself. 

He picked her up and took her inside the colony, towards the raging battle. 


	32. FINALE

Inside the colony, the violent fight continued. Buildings had been destroyed, spilling debris out onto the Plaza. Soldiers scrambled for cover, attempting to avoid the chaos. Wash pulled Michael behind the school unit for cover.

“You good?”

Michael nodded, dusting himself off as he heard the devastation continue across the Plaza.

“Glad someone is!” another soldier spluttered beside him. Michael looked over to discover Carter looking rather exasperated.

“Carter?” Michael said with surprise. “You know when you said you’d be willing to risk your life for the colony, I didn’t think you meant it!”

“Neither did I!” exclaimed Carter. “But I’d rather not die for it yet. What do we do now?”

“We need to get them out of the colony,” Wash speculated aloud, watching as the creatures wrestled and destroyed anything they came into contact with. 

“Oh, is that all?” Carter said sarcastically.

Michael peered round the unit, just in time to see one dino throw the other into the entrance of the Infirmary. The force created a massive dent in the building’s structure. Michael was about to express his concern for the patients inside when Wash caught onto his panic.

“It’s okay, the last few patients just evacuated.”

“What about -”

“ELISABETH!” 

They looked around to see Jim speeding towards the damaged Infirmary, straight for the battling dinos. Wash shot out of her hiding place, firing a sonic blast at the dinos and driving them away from the building. Jim used this opportunity to start shifting debris, climbing over the remnants to get to his wife. 

“Help him,” Wash instructed Michael and Carter. Immediately, they darted off towards the Infirmary, shifting wreckage to help save the doctor. 

After a moment, Jim found an opening and climbed inside. Michael and Carter followed close behind. 

They found Doctor Shannon on the floor by one of the biobeds, picking herself up after a nasty fall. Jim rushed to help her up, inspecting the cut on her head. 

“I’m fine,” she insisted. “I just came back to grab a few things when I got knocked over. What’s going on out there? Are we in trouble?”

“You could say that,” Jim replied. “We need to get somewhere safe.”

“Skye,” Michael blurted, drawing everyone’s attention. “I saw her get hurt. She needs your help.”

Taylor and Reynolds sprinted over to the remnants of Boylan’s Bar, attempting to find a good vantage point. They were stunned to see several smaller dinos race through the colony gates, practically taking it in turns to bite and slash at the mutant who once abused them. 

“Guess they’re not under its control anymore,” Taylor surmised, watching the seven-on-one fight in the middle of the Plaza.

They turned to see Wash dashing towards them, a serious look on her face as she attempted to catch her breath. “Sir, this is getting out of hand. We need to do something now.”

“Agreed. We can’t let them destroy any more of the colony. Any ideas?”

“I do. But it might be a bit risky.”

Taylor looked at the destruction ahead of him before turning back to his lieutenant. “Let’s hear it, Wash.”

* * *

Michael, Carter, Jim and Elisabeth were making their way out of the rubble when Michael received word on his communicator to stay away from the Plaza. As they made it outside, they could see why.

A large blaze circled around the Plaza, surrounding the creatures as they fought and scratched and bit their enemy. They receded back towards the gates, snapping and growling at each other. A few of the smaller creatures retreated outside, but the tougher ones remained, determined to finish the job. The Cruentusaur was practically dead already; its large and mutilated body beginning to struggle to hold itself, its burnt and bloodied head looking even more maimed and disfigured than it had before the fight. It made a terrifying sight as it summoned all its strength for one last, earth-shattering screech, before the Carnotaurus dragged it up by the neck, raising it up as high as it could. A Slasher made a quick jump, hurling itself into the Mutant and forcing it onto the spikes that circled the Plaza. 

Michael had to look away as the spikes sliced through the dino’s flesh, blood spattering into the air. Its loud, agonised screams turned to pitiful cries and eventually petered out to nothing. As the flames grew, the other creatures briskly took their leave. The Carno was last to go, letting out a triumphant roar as it watched the fire begin to swallow up the Cruentusaur’s body, until it couldn’t hang around any longer. It turned and made a dramatic exit through the crumbled gates. 

Everyone slowly began to emerge, peering through the fire at the fantastic beast that was now succumbing to the flames. Michael observed the repulsive scene, a sombre expression on his features. He then took a hold of Elisabeth’s shoulder.

“Skye,” he reminded her.

They avoided the fire, taking the long route around the back of the Command Centre. 

That’s where they found Lucas cradling Skye’s limp body. 

Lucas looked up feebly, covered in her blood, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. He seemed lost or in shock, unsure what to do or say. 

Michael mirrored his expression, his lips parting in disbelief. He felt the palpitations in his chest, the sharp pains in his gut as he looked at Skye’s pale face. He pictured her on the day they met. That scared thirteen year old hiding in the bushes. The relieved smile she gave him when he found her and made her feel safe again. His sister.  _ She couldn’t be... _

“No,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. He could hardly move. Just watched with horror as she lay lifeless on the ground.

Elisabeth rushed over, kneeling beside Lucas and pressing her fingers to Skye’s neck.

“She has a pulse,” she announced. 

The brothers lit up as relief washed over them.  _ Thank god _ .

“Help me get her to the Infirmary.”

* * *

Minutes later and Lucas was placing Skye down onto a biobed. The brothers watched nervously as Elisabeth brought up the interface with Skye’s vitals.

She studied the screen quickly. “She needs a blood transfusion.” Elisabeth looked around her worriedly.

“What is it?” Lucas asked. His shirt and hands were still drenched in red.

“I moved the blood store to The Eye for safe-keeping,” she admitted.

“I’ll get it,” Michael offered, darting for the exit.

“I’m afraid there’s no time.” lamented Elisabeth. “She’s lost too much blood. She needs the transfusion now.”

“Take my blood,” Lucas demanded, holding out his arm.

Elisabeth glanced at the details on Skye’s biobed. “According to this, she’s AB-. What are you?”

“A-,” Michael answered for him. “We’re both A-.”

“Of course,” said Elisabeth, glancing between them. “That’s compatible. We’re in luck.” She hesitated, looking at Lucas unsurely. 

Lucas was desperate now. They could see it in his face, his inpatient stance. Skye was on the brink of death and he was just about willing to try anything. He couldn’t explain this need to save her; he just knew he had to try. “Please. Let me do this.”

She nodded. She began to prep the IV.

“Wait, Lucas,” Michael pulled him aside. “You’re still recovering from a gunshot injury.”

“I’m fine, brother,” Lucas said dismissively.

“Let me do it,” Michael suggested. He began to roll up his sleeve when he heard Jim calling him. 

The Sheriff emerged on top of the rubble, glancing at Skye with concern before settling on Michael. “We have a situation at the gates.”

Michael looked hesitantly back at Skye, then at his brother.

“I can do this,” Lucas insisted. “Go.”

Michael nodded and headed out, passing Jim who watched uneasily as Elisabeth injected a needle into Lucas’ arm and the blood started flowing into Skye’s body. 

The fire was already beginning to die down as Michael and Jim walked across the Plaza, passing the many soldiers in the process of extinguishing it. He recoiled at the sight and smell of the dead dino’s skin gradually melting from its body. In the back of his mind, he thought what a shame it was that it had taken such a violent solution to end the creature’s reign of terror. But most of all, he couldn’t stop thinking about what it had done to Curran, or Skye, and if she would even be okay. He was glad that it was finally dead.

Jim led him to the destroyed gates where about twenty Phoenix Group survivors were waiting for them. They appeared understandably shaken. Taylor and a few members of the security team were standing opposite them, pointing their weapons at them.

“They asked for Captain Taylor,” his father explained. “I figured they meant you.”

Michael looked between all the men and women who stood in front of him, bruised and battered, lost and fearful without a leader. He recognised many of them from EdenCorp, from his days fighting the rebellion. 

“Captain,” one of them spoke up.

“I’m not a captain anymore,” replied Michael. “You can address the Commander.” There was uncertainty among the crowd. “It’s okay,” Michael reassured. “You can trust him.”

After a moment, their hopeless gazes turned to Taylor.

“Commander, we’re volunteers of the Phoenix Group army. Truthfully most of us weren’t really sure what we were getting ourselves into. We were just following orders...We want you to accept our surrender.”

Taylor narrowed his gaze at them as they watched him with desperation. “Fine. I accept your surrender. Now go home.”

He was about to turn around when the private spoke again. 

“Sir? Would you consider...letting us stay?”

Taylor turned back around, looking personally offended. “Excuse me?”

The private appeared nervous. “We’ve never seen anything like this place before. We want to stay here. Take us as prisoners if you have to.”

“I’ve enough mouths to feed as it is,” the Commander snapped. “There’s no room here for you. I’m sorry.”

He was about to leave again when Michael stopped him. “Dad,” he said quietly. “They started out just like us. Lost. Desperate. They just want to survive; provide a home for their families, just like we all do.”

The Commander sighed regrettably. “Son, I’m sorry but I have to draw the line somewhere.” He glanced over at Dunham. “Make sure they go back through the portal, and then we’ll have to find a way to keep it closed - both portals.” 

He headed back towards the colony, Jim following closely behind him. Michael understood, but he was disappointed. This wasn’t the new, merciful Commander that had been emerging over the past few days. He was already falling back into his old habits. 

He looked dismally at his old comrades. They may have been on the enemy side, but he still served with them. They had still spent months fighting together, protecting each other. He knew they had all done what they thought was right at the time, even if it had been wrong. He felt the unfairness, the desperation these people felt; the answer to their problems was literally staring them in the face and they were denied, condemned to return to the dying world and forced to commit the crimes of their rich bosses. 

“I’m sorry,” was all Michael could say as he turned back to help his father salvage what he could of the colony before the remainder of its residents made their return.

* * *

Clean up carried on late into the evening. The fire took a couple of hours to extinguish completely, revealing its charred blemishes on the colony. Luckily it hadn’t spread beyond the Plaza, sparing the buildings and housing units beyond the main square. 

Most of the Command Centre, the roof of Boylan’s Bar and what remained of the market area had been destroyed. The entrance to the Infirmary had taken a battering, but at least it was still functional. The gates and some of the fencing had been knocked through and therefore, the Security Team had assembled temporary spiked barriers to deter the wildlife around the North Entrance.

Wash was in charge of disposing of the dino’s remains, which was now a charred corpse in the middle of the Plaza. A deeply unpleasant job, the body was transported out of the colony in cargo containers to be buried in the jungle. 

It was a painstaking job, and as Michael helped sweep up the soot and debris, he couldn’t help thinking about those Phoenix Group soldiers and how, especially now, the colony might have needed them as much as they needed the colony. 

Hours later, in the midst of the clean up, Michael went to the Infirmary to check on Skye. Covered in dirt, he tried to clean himself up before approaching the bed where Skye lay, frail and unconscious. Lucas was asleep in the chair by her side, hunched forward, his arm still pumping blood into Skye’s body. 

He hovered over her, noticing the colour was gradually returning to her cheeks. She looked better. Lucas on the other hand looked a little worse for wear, his skin turning an unflattering pale colour; he was still stained with Skye’s blood. He jolted awake as Michael was staring at him, dark rings around his eyes as they adjusted to his surroundings. 

“How is she?” Michael asked.

Lucas looked over at Skye, as if relieved to find she was still there. “The doctor said she’ll be alright.” He looked up at Michael. “Have you come to take me to the Brig, or what’s left of it?”

“Actually no.” Michael pulled up a chair on the other side of Skye’s bed. “You can relax a little longer.”

“Funny,” Lucas said, voice laced with sarcasm as his gaze settled back on Skye. “This isn’t my idea of relaxation.”

Michael smirked ironically. He watched his brother with Skye and was surprised to find him so calm, so placid. 

“How does she keep making me do it?” Lucas asked softly, watching the girl with bemusement as she slept.

“Do what?”

“Risk everything for her?” He glanced at Michael, perplexed. “How does she make me so weak?”

Michael arched his brow. “What you feel for her isn’t weakness.” He almost couldn’t believe Lucas wasn’t getting this by now. “You’re in love with her.”

Lucas wrinkled his nose, scoffing at the idea, seemingly embarrassed or perhaps just in denial.

“It’s true,” Michael affirmed. “It just happens. At the most inconvenient times, in the most surprising places. Do you think I planned on falling in love with my superior, against our father’s wishes?”

“Michael, you’d fall in love with a Hadrosaur if it showed you some affection,” grumbled Lucas. “You were always desperate for attention.”

Michael rolled his eyes. “Mock me all you want. There’s a reason you care about her. Clearly she feels the same way or she wouldn’t have kissed you.”

Lucas turned his head towards him sheepishly. “She told you about that.”

“I’m her best friend,” Michael told him, a smug smile on his face. “She tells me everything.” 

His brother avoided his gaze. 

“You know, this  _ thing _ you two had scared me at first,” Michael continued, remembering the confusion and revulsion he felt seeing their kiss as Michael left the bar that evening during the Occupation. Even then, he could see the connection between them. In some ways, the confusion was still there, but nobody seemed to be more confused than Lucas himself. Even though -  _ technically _ \- he wasn’t the older twin anymore, Michael still couldn’t help giving Lucas some much needed advice. “But look at what you’ve done. You think she makes you weak. You’re the strongest I’ve ever seen you when you’re with her.”

“Don’t,” mumbled Lucas. “Don’t try to make this into some sickening cliche’. Next you’ll tell me she makes me into a better person; that she’s my  _ redemption, _ ” he added scathingly. “It doesn’t matter how I feel about her. She’s not here to redeem me of my sins and I wouldn’t want her to. Besides, as soon as the Old Man has finished putting his castle back together, he’ll lock me up and I’ll never see the light of day again.”

“Don’t say that.”

“ _ That’s _ what’s true,” snapped Lucas. “I just didn’t want her to die. That’s all. Love is irrelevant.” 

Michael sat back in his seat, disheartened that his brother couldn’t just accept what was right in front of him. However, Michael feared he was right about their father’s plans for him. The Commander had demonstrated some capacity for forgiveness, as shown by his acceptance of Michael and the Sixers back into the colony. But he wasn’t all-forgiving quite yet. And when it came to Lucas, he really wasn’t sure what the Commander would do.

They sat in silence for a while, the question of Lucas’ fate left hanging in the air uncomfortably. Elisabeth came to check on Skye, removing the IV from Lucas’ arm. She reassured them that Skye needed time to heal, but it was looking promising. Michael thanked her, the relief clear from his expression. Lucas hid it well, but he was comforted by the doctor’s assessment too. 

“She’s alive thanks to you,” Elisabeth told him, offering him a smile. 

Lucas glanced at her, but didn’t show much of a reaction. He was clearly unused to people showing him gratitude. Elisabeth went back to treating some of the soldiers who had been injured during the events of the day and the boys went back to an uneasy silence.

Lucas was the first to notice Skye waking up. He immediately got to his feet, leaning closely as he gradually made out the blue in her eyes reemerging. 

“Bucket,” he breathed.

She wrinkled her nose, blinking sleepily at him. “Where am I?”

“In the clinic,” Michael answered. Skye slowly turned her head to look at him. There was that smile again. She knew she was safe. “You lost a lot of blood. Lucas gave you some of his.”

Her tired eyes focused on Lucas above her. “You did?”

“Yes,” said Lucas plainly - strangely, with no ego; no fanfare. Just the truth.

She stared at him for what seemed like a long time, her face a mix of surprise, confusion - full of emotion. Her lips parted but no words would come out. 

Lucas waited patiently for her reaction, but their moment was cut short when the Commander appeared behind them, two soldiers either side of him. Taylor glanced between the boys for a second before he smiled at Skye, pleased to see her awake.

“How are you feeling?” he asked her.

“Okay, I think. A little weak.”

“You were brave to come back, Skye. You have the makings of a good soldier.”

She looked a little embarrassed, but grateful for the compliment. “I knew I had to help,” she said weakly.

“I’m sorry you got hurt in the process. I hear Lucas played a hand in your recovery.” He looked at Lucas, causing him to break his gaze away immediately. “Is that true?”

Lucas glanced back at him briefly, then nodded.

“We’re all grateful for what you did.” Taylor paused. From Lucas’ sour expression, he could tell he knew what was coming next. He sighed. “Lucas, you’re going to have to come with me.”

Michael stood, visibly upset by how his father was handling this. “Dad, he saved Skye’s life. And mine come to think of it, more than once.”

“I know.” Even their father looked pained by his actions. He knew it was necessary. He looked back at his soldiers and requested they leave him.

“Sir, are you sure?”

Taylor nodded at them. After a beat of hesitance, they left.

“Don’t make this difficult, son,” he said to Lucas. “Just come with me. No guards, no guns.”

Lucas looked hesitantly over at Michael, then Skye. He knew he had no choice. He nodded slowly, then began to trail over to his father.

“Wait,” Skye said tearfully. She held out a hand to him. After a few seconds, Lucas took her hand and felt her fingers squeeze around his. Her thumb brushed across his knuckles soothingly. “Thank you.” She forced a smile, but her sadness broke through. 

He barely smiled back. He reluctantly disconnected from her and found himself walking outside with his father. The acrid stench of burnt dinosaur still wafted through the colony, making Lucas’ stomach turn. Despite it being the early hours of the morning, the main square of the colony was still bustling with soldiers attempting to restore Terra Nova to some form of normalcy. He got the odd look of concern from passersby, but Taylor ignored them. 

“Thank you for saving them,” Taylor said after a few minutes of walking in silence. “I’m not entirely sure why you did, or what your plan was exactly. But I  _ am _ grateful.”

“I didn’t do it for you,” Lucas spat. He watched the Commander’s exhausted expression; he was tired of playing this game. 

“I’ll be straight with you,” he said. “The next few weeks, maybe even months, aren’t going to be pleasant for you.”

“I suppose another banishment is out of the question,” Lucas said facetiously. 

Taylor wasn’t amused. “I made a mistake banishing you. I never should have let you walk away. I made many mistakes with you, Lucas. That was one of my worst.”

“Stop.” Lucas rolled his eyes. “You’re embarrassing yourself.”

Taylor clenched his fist in annoyance, but he calmed himself. His quick temper had obviously passed down to his second-born. They both had to control themselves better. 

“You will always be my son, no matter what you do. I meant what I said at EdenCorp. I just wanted us to be a family. Maybe I’m crazy, but I still do. If that’s even possible.”

“ _ Family _ ,” Lucas scoffed. He paused a moment, glaring coldly at his father. “You know, the New Nichol offered me a deal. Or at least his General did. He asked me to do whatever it took to protect Terra Nova. Even if it meant stopping that idiot Hooper. I’ll admit, things didn’t really work out how I expected, but when they threatened Michael I had to improvise. I had to make them think they were winning.”

Taylor raised an eyebrow, surprised. “They must have promised you something good. Let me guess; in return they were going to let you kill me? You already tried, boy. More than once. You failed, remember?”

Lucas shook his head. “Actually, what they offered me had nothing to do with you. I accepted the deal, as long as they left William alone in whatever their plan is. See, you don’t matter to me anymore, Old Man. I don’t care if you live or die.” He scowled at him. “We’re not family. We’re not anything.” The steely look in his father’s eyes didn’t give much away. If he was hurt or not, he couldn’t tell. He didn’t much care anymore. “After all this time, after everything we’ve done to each other, how can you stand there and call us family? I can’t forget everything that’s happened between us and I expect you can’t either.”

“Like I told your brother, I’m willing to try,” Taylor said. “Terra Nova was meant to be a second chance, at least for the people who live here.”

Lucas resisted rolling his eyes. “What if I’m not interested in a second chance?”

Taylor smiled slightly. “I hope, with time, I can change your mind.”

Lucas paused for a long time, staring down at the ground, refusing to look his father in the eye. “Maybe you should have just killed me when Nichol wanted you to. It would have saved you a lot of trouble.”

“No,” Taylor replied, softly shaking his head. “I would never want that. This past year has taught me many things. One of them is to never give up hope. I still have hope, Lucas.”

He could see from Lucas’ petulant expression that he wasn’t sold on the speech. It would take a long time for him to come around, if he ever did. 

“I’d like to go to my cell now.”

Taylor didn’t look surprised. He beckoned some soldiers over and Lucas went with them willingly. As he was led down the steps to the Brig, the heavy door closing, he wondered how long he could last down here before he lost his mind completely.

* * *

The sun had risen in the colony and the remains of the attack were once again illuminated in the morning light. The clean up had been swift with the fire extinguished, the bodies buried, and a lot of the debris cleared away by sun up. The scars, however, had been deep. The destruction was plain to see and it was an unsettling sight for those returning from the mountains to see their home in such ruin. 

Michael awoke in his chair in the Infirmary to find Wash gently shaking him. Sleepily, he wiped his eyes, glancing back at Skye who was getting some much needed rest. 

“How is she?” Alicia whispered.

Michael yawned. “She’s alright. She’s a strong kid.”

“Pretty tough soldier too. I’d happily take her under my wing if she’s interested in some extra training. Like I did with you.”

“If I remember correctly, our training had a lot more kissing involved.” He winked at her, smirking and causing her to roll her eyes playfully

“Not all of it! I taught you plenty. You wouldn’t be half the soldier you are now without me, Corporal.”

“True.” He got to his feet and gently pulled her towards him, gliding his hands along her arms. It was still a good feeling to be this close to her in public. She self-consciously glanced around her for a second, but none of the other patients seemed to be interested in them. She smiled as they held each other. 

“I got word from Mira at the Mountain Base a couple of hours ago. The first few groups have started to return. She said Will is fine. He, Maddy and Deborah should be arriving home any minute now.”

Michael seemed relieved. “I knew Maddy would take care of him.”

“She’s quite taken with him. We might have trouble getting him back from her,” she joked. 

“I doubt it,” he said. “Once the crying starts and the diapers need changing.”

Alicia chuckled. She gazed at him a moment, her amused smirk fading as she looked between his eyes. “You’ve really grown up, Michael.”

He wrinkled his nose. “I don’t think so, Li. I came back to this colony and lied to everyone. I was scared. I let myself and Lucas get bullied into doing Nichol’s dirty work. I deceived my own father. That’s going to take a while for me to overcome.”

“I know.” She smiled sadly. “But you did the right thing in the end. You fought for what was right. I’m just sorry you had to do all of those things because of me.”

Michael appeared disturbed that she would think this. He shook his head vigorously as he took hold of both her shoulders. “No. I can only blame myself for getting involved with the Sixers and EdenCorp.  _ You’re  _ the one who got me through it. Who led me to doing the right thing. Even when you weren’t here, I could sense you guiding me. Teaching me.” 

She smiled warmly at him before surprising him with a kiss. “I’m proud of you.”

His heart beat a little harder at the sensation of her mouth on his. Her lips were a comfort; she felt like home. 

“ _ Mom _ ?” They heard Skye stir behind them, gently waking to the bright lights of the clinic as she squinted drowsily. 

“She’ll be here soon, Squirt,” Michael said, sitting down beside her again. “The civilians are on their way back as we speak.”

“I want to greet them,” Skye requested in a raspy voice. “I wanna be there for when they come back.”

“Out of the question, Skye,” Doctor Shannon refused, overhearing the conversation from across the room. “You’ve just had a massive transfusion. It’ll take weeks for you to recover. You need all the rest you can get.”

“Come on, Doc. I’ll make sure she’s okay.” Michael said hopefully. Elisabeth still looked unconvinced. 

“We’ll take her out in the wheelchair,” Wash suggested. “Just for a few minutes so she can see everyone.”

Elisabeth softened slightly. Her gaze settled back on Skye who looked at her with large, pleading eyes.

“Please?”

She rolled her eyes. “ _ Fine _ ,” she said in defeat. “But just for a few minutes. I’ll get the wheelchair.”

Not long later and Michael was wheeling her outside. She held her breath at the site of the colony in such a terrible state; the burn marks that blemished the plaza, the crumbled remains of the Command Centre, the shattered gates. Her expression changed when she saw her fellow Terra Novans coming through the temporary defences. 

Mira led the group with Sienna holding her hand. At first they were understandably distraught. But things changed when they were back inside, back home with friends and family. Skye saw her mother and Michael almost had to restrain her from jumping out of her wheelchair. Deborah raced over, crying but relieved to see her daughter in one piece. She knelt down to give Skye a hug, then Michael. Tasha was with her. She gave Skye a long cuddle. Then, looking up at Michael, she decided to hug him too. Michael hugged her back, replacing his surprise with relief as the girl released him and offered him a friendly smile.

There were more hugs and reassured laughter as the main square filled with people. He spotted Mira embracing Carter, Reilly holding hands with Nurse Ogawa, Malcolm looking a little dejected at the sight of yet another of his labs wrecked as he walked towards the clinic. He perked up a bit when Elisabeth greeted him with a hug and insisted the damage wasn’t as bad as it looked.

Michael saw Boylan observing the remains of his roof gloomily, but his demeanor changed when he saw Michael. He pulled him in an embrace and slapped his back, happy to see he was okay. 

Little Zoe ran past them with Josh in tow as they raced to see their mother. Elisabeth scooped her daughter up and spun her around before pulling Josh towards her for a kiss on the forehead. Jim appeared a second later, joining in the reunions and happy to see his kids again. Michael looked back to see Maddy handing Will back to Alicia, grinning happily. He smiled and made his way over to them, thanking Maddy and greeting his little boy again with a big grin. The baby seemed jolly enough, sucking on his fist and blowing spit bubbles gleefully. Just as Maddy was describing her night with William, Mark tapped her on the shoulder and she immediately launched into his arms. The newly-weds kissed and held each other, thankful to be back in each other’s arms.

It was a welcome sight. Terra Nova had endured so much destruction and fighting and mistrust, it was good to see the colonists so content and full of love. 

Taylor gave his welcome back speech from the centre of the Plaza since his balcony was in pieces behind him. Michael and Wash stood together for once as a family, little Will in his arms as they listened to Taylor’s promise that they would rebuild and grow stronger; that his experiences had led him to reflect on his leadership and that he would be open to change and compromise. 

In that moment, Michael was proud of him. His father had always ruled with an iron fist but he could see that he was changing. Having the Council had been a good start, but he recognised there were further improvements that could be made. He was willing to listen and unite everyone to fulfill his vision for Terra Nova.

However, Michael couldn’t help thinking of those Phoenix Group soldiers who had been marched back to the portal. He could envisage that awful trek back to the future, their tails in between their legs. What would become of them now? What would become of the future for that matter? Would things get worse back there? Would they attack again? He wondered if soon there wouldn’t  _ be _ a future to go back to.

The Commander finished his speech and the Terra Novans settled back into their homes. He could see Skye with her friends,  _ and _ Josh Shannon who seemed to have overcome the awkwardness of their break up. Skye seemed content, grinning up at them from her wheelchair as she described the crazy events of the previous day. Michael was happy to see that her friends were spending time with her again. They seemed to be taking good care of her, wheeling her back to the clinic to ensure she got her rest. 

Baby Will slept comfortably against Michael’s chest as Wash looped her arm through his and they walked home together.

_ Home. _ Funny how a year ago, he had stepped into that portal believing that he no longer had one. He couldn’t face the people he loved, he couldn’t bear the thought of going back because it hadn’t felt like a home in a long time. He had felt so angry, so betrayed. He felt so rejected by his own people that he became the bad guy. But that had all changed now.

These gates, these buildings, these people. They  _ were _ his home; his family. He knew now. They had to make each other better. They had to  _ be _ better. They couldn’t end up like those skeletons in the Badlands cave. The first civilisation here failed. 2150 failed. Terra Nova couldn’t  _ afford _ to fail. The colony was supposed to be about second chances, about forgiveness. They would try to remember that.

And that included Lucas, who he knew would be locked away in The Brig for a while to come. But they would let him heal like the rest of the colony. They would forgive him. They would help him whether he wanted it or not - and he  _ wouldn’t _ want it. He would fight it. He would hate every second of it. He would scream, he would cry. He would threaten. But little by little he would start to heal and accept the situation.

Once she was well enough, Skye would visit him - against the Commander’s wishes. She would come through those doors and see him sitting there and she’d be the only one to make him smile.

The colony would gradually heal too. They would work together and repair what was lost with the little tools and supplies they had left. But it would be done. 

The once Outsiders would be accepted again, with some hesitation. But people would learn that they were stronger together than they were apart. They would learn to trust Mira as an authority figure, and they would learn to trust Carter as their protector. They would accept Mira’s little girl as their own, as if she had been there all along. And Sienna would grow up knowing what a rainbow looked like in real life.

And Michael would sit with Wash and their child on their porch in the summer evenings, looking up at the stars and the giant moon that illuminated the darkness in the sky. Safe in the knowledge that his family were here. Alicia, Will, his dad, Lucas, Boylan, Skye, Mark, even the Shannons. 

And nothing could jeopardise that this time around. 

At least, he hoped.


	33. Epilogue

_And guilty, I may be_

_But don't give up on me_

_In the wake of the Odyssey_

_We will still be thick as thieves_

_You and me, still thick as thieves._

**\- Thick as Thieves by Shinedown**

* * *

Michael awoke in his bed feeling refreshed. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he smiled as the warmth of the morning sun greeted him. He put on his uniform and headed out into the kitchen where Wash was trying to give Will his bottle in his highchair. He laughed as the kid seemed more interested in playing with the bottle rather than drinking it. As soon as Will saw him, he threw down the bottle, letting formula leak everywhere.

“Dada!” he beamed.

Wash let out a heavy sigh. “Why can’t he ever greet _me_ like that?” she said with mock disappointment. 

“He’s a daddy’s boy,” Michael joked, kissing the boy on his head before grabbing a slice of toast from the toaster. 

“He’s his father’s son,” she said, clearing up the mess Will had made with a towel. The boy giggled innocently, causing Alicia to smirk.

Glancing at her watch, Alicia stood up and tied her hair back. “I’ve got to go. I’ll meet you later. Do you mind dropping Will off after breakfast?”

“Sure. Show ‘em who’s boss, _Captain_ Washington.”

She smiled warmly. Leaning towards him, she gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “I love you.”

Michael smiled and gazed into her eyes. He never got sick of hearing it. “Love you too.”

He watched her leave, taking a bite out of his toast before ruffling his son’s hair and making him giggle.

“Right,” he said, beginning to clear up. “Who’s ready for a trip to see their godparents?”

Maddy Reynolds gave them the biggest smile as she opened the door to greet them. Her protruding stomach seemed to get bigger every time he saw her. 

“You sure you’re going to want Will running around once you’ve got your own munchkin?” he queried as Maddy took Will in her own arms, balancing him on her large bump.

“Of course! In fact, it’s really useful for me to see Will in this stage of his development. I mean, all babies grow at different rates but it’s a good indication for me to understand what kind of food he’s eating, what vitamins he needs, how much he’s crawling or even walking….” She paused, blushing as she watched Michael blankly nodding at her. “Sorry. I do that sometimes.”

Mark appeared behind her. “I think it’s cute,” he said, planting a kiss on her cheek before waving at Will. “I’m all set,” he said to Michael.

After bidding Maddy and Will goodbye, the two corporals paid Curran a quick visit in Memorial Field. Michael knew he wasn’t really buried here but the Commander had put a tombstone in anyway as a mark of respect, not far from Guzman actually. Some people weren’t happy about it at first, but they got used to it. They eventually accepted that Curran had died helping them, that he died a hero and he deserved to be respected. Michael would visit him and Guz often, telling them about the changes that had been happening. 

And there had been plenty of changes. Michael passed many of them on his walk through the colony with Mark. For one thing, dozens of new housing units had been built. He and Wash had moved into one a little while ago with the baby and with Baby Reynolds on the way, Maddy and Mark had applied for one as well.

They passed Deputy Mira who was settling a dispute by the agricultural fields. Doctor Chang had fallen out with one of his workers, it seemed, but it was getting resolved now. She spotted Michael and Mark and nodded at them. Michael waved back. She may look bored, but he knew she was enjoying the job.

Zoe and Sienna were playing with some of the other children outside the school. Sienna gave him a big wave before they were called inside to do some more learning. She pouted, clearly disappointed that her playtime had been interrupted, until the teacher said they were going to learn about dinosaurs and then she practically ran indoors. That made Michael chuckle.

Walking further, he heard some familiar bickering coming from the new and improved science lab. 

“The reason you have a problem with these ideas, Malcolm, is because you’re a biologist. Argue with me when you become an expert in a real science.”

As Michael came closer, he saw Lucas standing by the open door, shaking his head as he scrolled through his Plex. But he had the smallest smirk on his face, as if he enjoyed winding up Malcolm. He noticed his brother walking by and offered him a playful wink before Malcolm launched into another argument about how through his extensive knowledge of biology, zoology, medicine, and even engineering he had saved the colony more times than he cared to mention - and he liked to mention it _a lot_. Lucas rolled his eyes and headed back into the lab to continue on whatever they were working on. Michael snorted. They fought a lot, but he could tell Lucas had found a good fit working in the science lab with Malcolm, even if it had been tough at first. 

They approached the market which was bustling with people. Back to its former glory, there was all the food and technology anyone could ever hope for. Casey Durwin seemed happy again, the slightest smile on his usually grumpy face as he greeted his customers and collected their terras. 

He could see Boylan shopping at the fruit stand for ingredients. He had been implementing some new cocktail recipes recently and was eager to try new, exotic fruits to entice his diners. A new menu to go with the new look of the bar, Tom had said. He had ditched the dark and dingy look of the old bar and gone with a fun and fresh feel, open and bright, even alluring the likes of Deborah Tate for a visit on ‘Ladies Night’ with Skye and Tasha. Michael liked the new look but, acting as a guinea pig for Tom’s eccentric new beverages, he thought they could still use some work. 

They stopped outside the new Command Centre to collect their vehicle. The new centre mimicked the design of the old base, however, there was now a ground floor for the Sheriff Station where Jim and Mira worked. Jim had gradually appointed more deputies, including his son who still seemed to be figuring out what he wanted in life. Unlike some others he knew. He spotted Skye chatting to Jim inside. She appeared to be on duty, perhaps filing Jim in on the security report, when she glanced behind her and noticed the boys staring at her. She smiled politely at Jim, dismissing herself, then approached them. 

“Where are you boys off to?” she smiled.

“Ancora Village,” Mark replied. “Just taking over security for the construction team.”

Skye looked slightly jealous. “I hear it’s coming along nicely. I’d love to check it out sometime. Hard to believe they only started building it eight months ago.”

“Yeah, well, the Senator wants it more or less ready by the time the twelfth pilgrimage comes,” Michael added.

“That’s today, isn’t it? I wanted to escort but I promised Lucas I’d play chess with him.”

“He has you playing chess with him?” Michael scoffed. “He hates chess. My dad had to force him to play.”

Skye shrugged. “Well, I re-taught him. _Someone_ has to keep an eye on him. and it keeps him out of trouble. ”

“Well whatever you’re doing it seems to be working.”

She looked a little smug at that. “Anyway, you guys be sure to tell me all about the pilgrimage. Hopefully it goes a little more smoothly than the last one.”

“Yeah, it’ll be interesting,” Michael speculated. “I know Dad hasn’t been too keen on negotiating with a politician.”

“We didn’t have much of a choice,” reminded Mark. “Besides, he’s kept up with his side of the bargain so far. The colony’s stronger than it ever was. In exchange for some ore and materials, seems like a pretty good deal to me.”

“Please don’t mention deals,” Michael joked, closing his eyes.

“Still, I get why your dad’s on edge,” Skye added. “We’re almost where we started, being controlled by a higher power.”

“Yeah except this guy’s a real Man of the People,” said Reynolds. “He even has the Rebels on side. I hear some of them are even on the next pilgrimage. I mean, now they’re not rebelling anymore.”

“Then maybe he really is trying to be the good guy?” Skye pondered aloud.

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” Michael mumbled. “I know that more than anyone.”

“Well, you losers have fun at Ancora,” she grinned. “I get to go on another patrol. Lucky me.”

“You love it really,” Michael teased.

Skye giggled and headed off.

Ancora Village was a few klicks away from Terra Nova. The village itself was going to be quite serene. It was built beside a rather large waterfall, leading to a lake in the centre. Hundreds of housing units were being built around it, which meant it looked a little like a construction site at the moment as Mark and Malcolm pulled up to the gates. The corporals guarded the village for the next few hours, patrolling the area whilst the workers continued building. 

Development had started a few months after the colony began negotiating with the New Nichol. This was part of the new vision for Terra Nova. Ancora was going to be for everyone. No lottery, no exclusive invites. Anyone was welcome if they wanted it. Michael wasn’t surprised when his father reacted badly, but they had to comply. The Council agreed it was in everyone’s best interests. Of course their previous experiences had led to initial hesitance and suspicion, particularly as the Senator’s General was the one who wanted to weaponise the Mutant dinosaur. But the Senator himself was extremely charismatic. And powerful. He promised them all sorts of things to help improve and expand the colony. Eventually, he won them over. The negotiations had saved the colony. And he may not have said it out loud, but Michael kind of liked this new vision of everyone being welcome to live in paradise. He just wasn’t certain how it was all going to work yet. 

Later, Mark dropped Michael off at the portal. He hurried towards the group of soldiers already waiting to escort the next pilgrimage, joining Wash by the terminus.

“You’re late, Corporal,” Wash scolded him. “Looks like _some_ things never change.”

“Apologies, Captain. Traffic was awful.”

She rolled her eyes, smirking slightly. 

“How long has he been back there?” Michael asked, indicating to the portal’s blue energy.

“Almost half an hour,” Wash replied. “It was supposed to be a few last minute negotiations before the pilgrimage came through.” She looked down at the console in her hand, beginning to look concerned.

After a few minutes, Taylor walked through the portal, looking furious. Wash handed the console to Michael, catching up to the Commander.

“Close the portal,” Taylor demanded.

Wash seemed confused. “Sir?”

“Typical politician. Should have known he was twisting the truth. We agreed on 150 civilians. There’s damn near 300 back there. Shut off the terminus. Now!”

Michael pressed a button and the electric blue faded away.

Wash frowned. “That’s a little more than we anticipated…” 

“A little?” Taylor scoffed. “Ancora’s not ready. I said no. He didn’t take it well. Neither did all the civilians he had lined up ready to come through.”

Michael cleared his throat. “Isn’t there something we can do?

“Yeah,” his father said. “Keep the terminus powered down.”

“You know that won’t stop them,” Michael argued. “They’ll open the fracture their side. And if it’s not tethered here, it’ll open elsewhere.”

“Well, we’ll see just how willing the Senator is to risk the lives of his new supporters. Besides, he knows if he doesn’t have our cooperation, we can make life very difficult for him. He can’t send an army through this time. Not with the whole world watching.”

“What about all those people?” Michael asked him.

“They’ll just have to go home.” He sighed when he saw Michael’s disappointed expression. “The village isn’t ready, Michael. Terra Nova isn’t ready. Maybe it will never be ready.”

Michael’s mind cast back to those Phoenix Group soldiers who had pleaded for a place in the colony, but were denied. He thought about Gus and how all he wanted was to save his city and protect his family. He thought about Mira and Sienna and Mark and how their desperation for a decent life had led them down a dark path. He thought about Miranda Nichol and how that dying world had produced such cruel and greedy people who profited from the suffering. And then he thought about Peter Boylan. The kid with the coin who died from breathing the air. That world had killed him. How many more kids had to die? How many more people had to suffer?

“I know what you’re thinking, Michael. But opening that portal won’t solve anything. It’ll just let in hundreds of people we can’t provide for.”

“They deserve to live good lives,” Michael stated. 

“How do you know that?” countered Taylor. “The new vetting system’s a joke. We have no say in who comes here. They could be criminals. Murderers.”

“You mean criminals like Mira or Carter? Or Murderers like me?”

“That’s different. _You’re_ different.”

“Why am I different? How are any of us different? We’ve all made mistakes, and we were all allowed a second chance.”

Taylor looked around him impatiently. “You’re going to give me that console.”

Michael’s finger hovered over the button. It would be so simple. Just one press of a button and all those people would come through. It was a scary thought. But a worse one was turning them away, condemning them to a toxic future. How could he live with himself? How could they call themselves good people? He shook his head. It wasn’t fair, it had never been fair. He thought back to Nichol’s terrible propaganda back in 2150 and how, deep down, he had believed it too. If the Commander had his way, they would still be cut off from the future. That was the best way to stop the problems of the future following them here. But how was that being better? How had trying to get it right led them to getting it so wrong?

“Michael,” his father warned him. He was stern, angry. On the verge of...that look. The one Michael hadn’t seen for ages now. They had come so far this past year but things had never quite gone back to how they used to be. Hard to believe he and his dad had once been two sides of the same coin - thick as thieves - now they were trying to repair something that may never be fixed completely. They had both been trying so hard. Maybe it just couldn’t be fixed. “I can’t protect you if you do this.”

He watched his fellow soldiers point their weapons at him, once again. He was probably ruining any credibility he had left, but he had always been a bit defiant. When he stole the box for Mira, he thought he was doing the right thing. Saving Alicia’s life. And again when he was working for Nichol, he was saving his family. Maybe there was no _right_ way to do the right thing. Maybe to enforce change, he had to break the rules. 

He looked over at Alicia. She lowered her weapon. He saw it in her eyes. She was thinking of her friends in the Rebellion. She knew he had a point. 

Michael became aware of Boylan’s coin in his pocket again. It was always there, a comfort. When he felt lost like this, it grounded him. It helped him be brave.

He took a shaky breath. Here he was. Thinking with his heart again rather than his head. He would regret it.

Or maybe he wouldn’t.

He pushed the button.

**The End**

**A/N: If you got this far, thank you for reading! If you liked it, why not leave a review? I’d like to know your thoughts, if you enjoyed it, what you made of Michael’s journey back to Terra Nova. Originally the concept for Michael was to make a redemption story for Lucas, to make Michael into the Big Bad that even Lucas would have to turn against. But my heart couldn’t do it. I like the idea of Good being in the both of them. I don’t plan to write a Season 3 but I might consider a few One-Shots covering Lucas’ reintegration into the colony (from prisoner to Malcolm’s Science partner!); Lucas’ relationship with Skye and his family, especially Will; a Michael/Wash wedding and how Lucas would react to it. I picture several new characters and personalities coming in from the portal to mix things up and Taylor and Jim constantly being on edge on trying to keep order in their expanding colony! In my head the new boss in the future, The Senator, would attempt to be the Good Guy but as we know most politicians are corrupt in some capacity so that would be interesting to explore. Anyway please comment, say hi, and hopefully I’ll see you again!**

**Check out my youtube or tumblr for Michael edits (username: jemmalynette).**


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